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ENGLEWOOD 


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Of    ILLINOIS 

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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/storyofenglewoodOOsull 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

1835—1923 


WRITTEN  AND  COMPILED 

UNDER  THE  AUSPICES 

OF  THE 

ENGLEWOOD  BUSINESS  MEN'S  ASSOCIATION 


EDITED  BY 

GERALD  E.  SULLIVAN 

AND  COMMITTEE  OF  CHAS.  S.  DENEEN,  E.  H.  HOL- 
TORFF,  DR.  J.  W.  WILDER,  CLARENCE  O.  ROSEN,  H.  M. 
ENGLESTEIN,  JAMES  E.  ARMSTRONG,  J.  W.  BARNEY. 


COPYRIGHT    1924 


r,288 


ILLUSTRATED   AND   ARRANGED  PRINTED    By 

By  EDWARD  H.   DOUGHERTY  FOSTER   &    McDONNELL 


STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD  COMMITTEE 


[CLARENCE  O.ROSEnIII^uZ^i^  L.A^MSTftJHl 


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Chapter 


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IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

IX 

X 

XI 

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XVI 

4 

XVII 

XVIII 

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XIX 

3 

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XXI 

XXII 

4 

XXIII 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Page 

Story  of  Englewood 9 

Halsted  and  63rd  Streets 21 

General  Notes   29 

Englewood  Homes    33 

The   Social   Life 39 

The   Older    .Merchants 43 

Justices  of  the   Peace  and   Police  Magistrate!.  47 

Normal    School    51 

Englewood    I  [igh  School 59 

Schools    of    Englewood 65 

Elementary   Schools    71 

Professional    Men    of    Englewood 81 

The    Fire    Department 85 

Parks  and    Boulevards ^7 

The  Soldiers  of    Englewood 91 

Englewood    Post   Office 95 

Newspapers  of  Englewood 97 

The   Public  Library  of    Englewood 101 

The  Coming  of  the  Elevated   Railroad 103 

Churches   of    Englewood 107 

Lodges   and   Organizations 12(J 

Banks  of   Englewood 179 

Reminiscences  of  Old  Settlers 191 


TO  CORRECT  AXY  ERRORS 

The  author  of  "The  Story  of  Engleivood" 
respectfully  requests  any  reader  zuho  may  dis- 
cover in  its  perusal  any  mistakes,  errors  or 
important  omissions,  to  send,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, a  notation  of  the  same,  also  any  sugges- 
tions that  may  be  valuable  for  a  second  edi- 
tion, which  zvill  probably  be  published  very 
soon. 

The  author  used  every  means  in  his  power 
to  secure  correct  data,  but  found  a  feeling  of 
indifference  among  many  who  should  have 
been  interested ,  hence  there  may  be  mistakes 
and  omissions  that  were  not  the  fault  of  the 
author  or  the  committee. 

Kindly  mail  anything  you  may  wish  to  the 
author,  or  the  committee,  728  IT.  65th  St., 
Englewood,    Chicago,    Illinois. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Story  of   Englewood   Committee 2 

Bird's-Eye  View  in  1872 6 

Rock   Island   Depot  in    1878 11 

Cook  County  Normal  School 15 

Englewood   High   School    ( ( )ld  ) 17 

View  of  Halsted  Street  from   Elevated   Railroad 20 

The   First    Business    Block 21 

Corner  59th  and  Halsted  Streets 23 

Modern    Englewood    at    Night 26 

Elevated  Station  at  63rd  and  1  lalsted 35 

Englewood    Baptist  Church  in    1890 ^7 

Railroad  Yards  in  Englewood 40 

Washington   Park   Club    I  louse 45 

Englewood   High   School    (  Today) 50 

Hiram  Kelly  Library 67 

Lindblom   1  Iigh    School 68 

St.    Bernard's    Hospital 82 

Aero  View  of    Englewood 96 

Chicago   Normal   College    (  Today ) 100 

Englewood  Baptist  Church 106 

Fourth   Church  of   Christ,    Scientist 106 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  the    Redeemer Ill 

I  Iigh  Altar,  St.  Bernard's  Church 117 

St.   Martin's  German  Catholic  Church 123 

Masonic  Temple  and  K.  C.   Club  House 148 

View  West  on  63rd  Street  from   I  harvard  Avenue....  162 

Mew  West  on  63rd  Street  from  Union  Avenue 100 


lit! 


PREFACE 

Englewood-Chicago,   January   1,    1924. 
To  the  Reader : 

Now  that  the  volume  is  completed,  I  lay  down  my  pen, 
or  rather  lift  my  good  index  fingers  from  the  typewriter, 
with  a  feeling  of  satisfaction,  mingled  with  a  certain  sad- 
ness in  bidding  farewell  to  the  members  of  the  committee, 
many  of  whom  wrere  closely  associated  with  me  in  the  work, 
and  the  many  ''old  timers"  it  has  brought  me  in  contact 
with. 

I  have  endeavored  to  write  a  more  or  less  consecutively 
connected  Story  of  Englewood  rather  than  a  prosaic  history, 
although  careful  search  has  been  made  to  authenticate  all 
important  matters.  Personal  histories  are  omitted  for 
lack  of  space,  not  because  they  were  not  worthy  of  a  page 
in  the  history  of  our  good  old  town,  but  simply  because  we 
would  have  been  compelled  to  write  a  library  instead  of  a 
single  volume.  Notwithstanding  our  most  earnest  efforts, 
some  organizations  are  not  represented  as  those  in  authority 
failed  to  give  us  the  facts  necessary  to  write  them. 

I  desire  especially  to  thank  former  Governor  Deneen, 
J.  W.  Barney,  Daniel  S.  Wentworth,  Prof.  James  E. 
Armstrong,  Judge  Theodore  Ehler,  Harry  E.  Englestein, 
E.  H.  Holtorff,  Dr.  W.  J.  Wilder,  Col.  H.  D.  Fulton,  Wil- 
liam Spinks,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Delaney,  Harry  O.  Wilson  and  the 
writers  of  the  reminiscences  published,  for  their  kindly 
assistance  and  cheerful  encouragement  at  all  times.  Mr.  R. 
B.  Pierce,  Business  Manager  of  the  Englewood  Business 
Men's  Association,  was  especially  helpful  and  kindly  in  his 
assistance. 

If  this  volume  will  serve  as  a  pleasant  reminder  to  the 
old  timers  and  interest  the  newer  residents,  I  feel  that  my 
work  has  not  been  in  vain.  With  the  kindliest  good  wishes 
for  all,  and  farewell,  I  remain, 

Sincerely  yours, 

Gerald  E.   Sullivan. 


The  Story  of  Englewood 

CHAPTER  I 

IN  WRITING  the  story  of  Englewood,  it  shall  be  the 
object  of  the  committee  appointed  by  the  Englewood 
Business  Men's  Association  to  tell  in  a  more  or  less 
methodical  manner,  the  story  of  our  pleasant,  prosperous 
town,  in  a  readable  and  reminiscent  manner,  rather  than  to 
repeat  the  cumbersome  phraseology  of  a  history.  There 
may  be  repetitions,  but  we  hope  no  inaccuracies. 

The  first  definite  information  regarding  the  original 
occupants  of  the  soil  is  gained  from  the  account  given  by 
La  Salle  of  his  expedition  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph 
River  in  Michigan  by  land  to  the  Illinois  River  in  the 
Winter  of  1681.  He  traveled  along  the  south  shore  of  the 
lake  in  the  country  of  the  Miamis  until  he  reached  what 
was  then  the  Checaugua,  but  later  the  Desplaines  River. 
The  portage  he  was  obliged  to  cross  in  order  to  reach  that 
river  he  called  the  Checaugua  Portage.  The  neighbors  of 
the  Miamis  on  the  west  were  the  Mascoutins  and  they  had 
undoubtedly  been  the  possessors  of  the  present  site  of 
Englewood  for  many  years  and  were  possibly  a  branch  of 
the  Pottawatomies. 

Tn  Hennepin's  account  of  La  Salle's  expedition  to  the 
Illinois  River  in  1680  we  read  of  the  establishment  of  a 
fort,  called  by  the  savages  Checaugua,  and  by  the  French 
Fort  Creveceur.  Many  Indians  were  located  in  this  vicinity 
of  Illinois  and  the  most  friendly  hovered  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  fort.  The  name  Checaugua  went  through  many 
changes  and  the  best  genealogists  say  that  the  word  Chicago 
in  its  applications  signified  mighty,  strong,  powerful. 

The  Mascoutins,  Miamis,  Illinois  and  Sauk  Indians  had 
villages  all  through  the  territory  west  and  south  of  Checau- 
gua and  the  French  have  left  relics  of  their  occupation  in 
the  ruined  forts  recently  discovered  in  the  Forest  Preserves 
through  the  towns  of  Palos,  Worth  and  Bloom. 

In  1764  the  first  permanent  fort  was  built  on  the 
present  site  of  Chicago,  although  all  of  the  neighboring- 
country  had  for  a  period  of  years  been  traversed  backward 

9 


10  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

and  forward  by  the  French  missionaries  and  Courier  de 
Bois.  On  the  3rd  of  August,  1795,  a  piece  of  land  six 
miles  square  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River,  where  44a 
fort  formerly  stood,"  was  ceded  by  the  Indians  to  the 
United  States  in  anticipation  of  its  being  made  a  military 
post,  occupied  only  part  of  the  time  by  a  garrison.  In  the 
Summer  of  1803  Captain  John  Whistler,  U.  S.  A.,  occupied 
the  post  and  built  the  fort. 

A  letter  recently  shown  us  by  Airs.  Whistler  says  that 
there  were  but  four  cabins  or  trader's  huts,  occupied  by 
Canadian  French  with  their  Indian  wives,  at  that  time. 

How  the  garrison  of  old  Fort  Dearborn  was  massacred 
in  1812  is  an  old  story  and  the  thriving  village  of  Chicago 
was  really  the  most  important  point  in  all  the  territory 
north,  south  and  west,  because  of  its  commercial  enterprise 
and  its  being  the  gateway  of  the  then  only  means  of  traffic 
by  the  Great  Lakes.  Naturally  the  land  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  was  soon  settled  by  farmers,  principally  from  the 
Eastern  states,  and  a  Mood  of  immigrants,  beginning  in 
1832,  marveled  at  the  beautiful  and  fertile  prairies  to  the 
west  and  the  present  site  of  Englewood  was  taken  up  as 
farm  land. 

Very  early  in  the  eighteenth  century  the  land  about 
Chicago  was  taken  up,  even  before  the  Indians  had  ceded 
their  right  to  it  to  the  United  States  Government,  and  it 
was  possibly  not  until  1840  or  1842  that  the  land  upon 
which  Englewood  now  stands  was  entered  for  settlement 
in  the  Government  Land  Office  at  Chicago.  There  is  a 
confusion  both  as  to  names  and  dates  as  well  as  the  exact 
description  of  this  land.  One  entry  would  show  it  to 
have  been  entered  by  a  man  named  Bailey,  while  the  name 
of  Wilcox  is  also  entered  for  land  just  west  of  that  entered 
by  Bailey.  Inasmuch  as  Bailey  did  locate  on  a  tract  of  land 
south  and  east  of  what  is  now  South  Chicago  and  a  stage 
station  was  located  upon  it,  known  in  the  old  coaching  days 
and  now  as  Bailey  Town,  the  first  station  south  of  Ains- 
worth  or  South  Chicago  of  today,  the  claim  to  the  Engle- 
wood land  may  have  been  entered  by  Wilcox. 

Land  speculators  and  exploiters  of  all  kinds  flocked  to 
this  rich  territory  and  the  Illinois  Legislature  as  well  as 
the  Lmited  States  Congress  was  flooded  with  bills  for  spe- 


INTRODUCTORY 


11 


cial  privileges,  stage  coach  lines,  canals  and  even  the  newly 
tried  railroads  were  agitated  for  and,  in  the  spring  of  1852, 
the  first  railroad  was  built  through  Englewood  and  on  to 
Chicago.  It  was  known  as  the  Michigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana  Railroad,  afterwards  the  Lake  Shore  & 
Michigan  Southern,  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  great  New 
York  Central   System. 


Englewood  Rock  Island  Depot,  187S 

Railroads 

The  Michigan  Southern  &  Northern  Indiana,  later  the 
Lake  Shore  and  now  the  New  York  Central  Lines,  was  laid 
through  Englewood  February  20,  1852,  and  was  opened 
through  to  Chicago  May  22  of  the  same  year.  This  was 
soon  followed  by  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island,  then  the  Chi- 
cago, Pittsburgh  &  Fort  Wayne,  and  then  the  Wabash  & 
St.  Louis,  then  the  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago,  then 
the  Chicago  &  Atlantic  and  the  Nickel  Plate.  These  eight 
important  lines  of  railroad  connected  Englewood  and  other 
suburban  towns  with  the  city  and  was  the  means  of  rapidly 
increasing  the  population  and  material  growth  of  the 
suburbs. 

Mr.  David  R.  Tipton  tells  us  that  when  he  came  to 
Chicago  in  1864,  there  was  no  Englewood  and  even  Chicago 
Junction  was  a  transfer  house  or  shed  and  the  depot  was 


12  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

at  62nd  Street.  Mr.  Clark,  the  then  agent,  lived  in  the 
depot.  A  few  scattered  houses  along  the  track  and  the 
roadhouses  and  tavern  on  State  Street,  were  the  only  per- 
manent places  of  residence.  He  has  still  in  his  possession 
the  following  document  which  may  he  termed  the  official 
birth  of  Englewood. 


"Michigan  Southern  &  Northern  Indiana 
Railway 
GENERAL  ORDER  No.  14 
The  name  of  the  station  at  Chicago  Junction  has 
been  changed  to  Englewood. 

Chas.  R.  Hatch, 
December  17,  1868  General  Supt." 


In  the  latter  part  of  1852  the  Rock  Island  was  built, 
coming  from  the  west,  and  formed  a  junction  and  crossed 
the  Michigan  Southern  at  what  is  now  63rd  and  La  Salle 
streets.  There  was  a  large  grove  of  oak  trees  in  this  vicin- 
ity, and  the  name  applied  to  the  district  was  Junction 
( irove.  Two  years  later  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad  was 
built  and  formed  a  "junction"  which  made  it  almost  a 
railroad  center,  and  Junction  Grove  began  to  grow.  Houses 
sprang  up  in  the  neighboring  locality  in  groups,  as  pleased 
the  builders,  rather  than  with  any  definite  view  of  a  future 
city.  Previous  to  the  coming  of  the  railroads  the  "Grove" 
was  a  stopping  station  on  the  old  stage  road  from  the 
east,  which  came  by  way  of  Michigan  City,  City  West  and 
Bailey  Town.  The  two  last  towns  were  in  the  sand  dunes 
of  Indiana.  The  last  change  of  horses  before  reaching 
Chicago  was  where  63rd  Street  now  crosses  Indiana  Ave- 
nue, following  Vincennes  Road  to  37th  Street,  then  Cot- 
tage Grove  Avenue,  into  Chicago.  This  was  the  old  Indian 
trail  from  Chicago  to  Fort  Wayne  and  was  probably  the 
first  road  of  importance  built  south  and  west  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Chicago. 

Along  this  old  Indian  trail,  or  State  Street  as  we  may 
now  call  it,   several  taverns   were  located.     The   first   was 


INTRODUCTORY  13 

probably  that  of  Mr.  J.  Burkey,  which  was  located  on  the 
west  side  of  State  Street,  at  what  is  now  61st  Street.  This 
Mr.  Burkey  was  the  father  of  Christ  Burkey,  who,  later, 
with  John  Milan,  kept  for  many  years  a  very  popular 
restaurant  on  Clark  Street  under  the  firm  name  of  Burke)' 
&  Milan,  and  it  was  wonderful  the  amount  of  food,  and 
good  food  at  that,  they  served  for  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
five  cents;  in  fact,  the  latter  price  meant  a  banquet  and 
dessert.  Already  quite  a  number  of  railroad  operatives  and 
their  families  had  located  in  the  neighborhood  of  "Junction 
Avenue,"  now  63rd  Street,  and  with  their  coming  came  the 
necessity  for  stores,  especially  groceries  and  markets. 
About  a  dozen  or  fifteen  families  had  located  in  the  neigh- 
borhood and  built  more  pretentious  homes  east  of  the  Rock 
Island,  among  whom  we  could  mention  A.  G.  Warner  at 
63rd  and  State  streets,  H.  B.  Lewis  on  Wabash  Avenue 
at  63rd  Street,  Mr.  Sutherland  at  Indiana  Avenue  and  63rd 
Street ;  north  of  that  a  widow,  Mrs.  Bliss,  resided,  and 
S.  W.  Wheeler  at  the  southwest  corner  of  61st  Street  and 
Michigan  Avenue.  Next  south  of  the  Wheelers  was  Mr. 
Parker  and  next  was  Airs.  Armstrong,  widow  of  George 
B.  Armstrong,  the  original  founder  of  the  railway  mail 
service.  Charles  Brownell  at  the  northeast  corner  and  Mrs. 
Chamberlain  and  son,  Charles,  were  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Wabash  Avenue  and  62nd  Street.  Henry  Kent  and 
a  Mr.  Brooks  and  Mr.  Rriggs  on  Wabash  Avenue  between 
62nd  and  63rd  streets,  and  Mr.  I  turlburt  on  Wabash  Ave- 
nue near  60th  Street,  and  an  architect  named  Bartlett  on 
State  near  60th  Street.     This  was  in  the  decade  of  the  '60^. 

Scarcely  had  the  first  inhabitants  built  their  homes  than 
they  built  a  school.  The  first  was  a  frame  affair  on  State 
Street  near  65th  Street.  Later  came  a  large  school  of  brick 
which  stood  at  62nd  and  School  streets,  now  Princeton 
Avenue.  The  building  served  as  a  school  and  church  for 
all  denominations  and  town  hall.  There  are  a  few  left 
today  who  were  students  in  that  school. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad  tracks 
were  the  Wilcoxes,  Nichols,  Gerbers  at  62nd  and  Halsted 
streets,  and  others.  William  Wilcox  died  here  in  1844. 
Daniel  Burkey  settled  on  ten  acres  of  land  near  what  is 
now  State  and  63rd  streets  in   1863.     John  Hastings  lived 


14  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

in  the  original  Nichols  house  in  1858.  Joseph  Nash  and 
family  settled  near  State  and  63rd  streets  as  early  as  1857. 
Among  other  early  settlers  were  Milton  S.  Patrick  at 
63rd  Street  and  Indiana  Avenue  and  Patrick  Donegan  at 
"Donegan  Station,"  later  the  59th  Street  station  of  the 
Pennsylvania   Railroad. 

Nathaniel  S.  Clark,  who  was  the  agent  of  the  Michigan 
Southern  Railroad,  settled  here  in  1856  and  died  ten 
years  later.  He  was  buried  at  Oak  Woods.  Luther  W. 
Crocker  came  here  with  his  father,  who  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  at  the  corner  of  Junction  Avenue  and 
Halsted  Street.  He  converted  it  into  a  fruit  farm  and 
nursery  and  in  1855  they  built  a  home  on  the  place  and 
moved  into  it.  Luther  remained  on  the  farm  with  his 
father  up  to  1868.  In  1860  he  was  appointed  roadmaster 
in  this  district  and  supervised  the  building  of  all  the  first 
gravel  roads  in  Engiewood  and  the  Town  of  Lake.  He 
also  served  as  director  on  the  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  one  year,  in  1868  Luther  W.  Crocker  was  married 
to  Miss  Ella  L.  Howland  of  Freedonia,  Chautauqua 
County.  X.  Y.  They  lived  at  1805  College  Street,  now 
known  as  62nd  Street,  for  many  years  and  later  moved 
to  their  property  at  6315  Stewart  Avenue  where  Luther 
Crocker  died  in  1907.  Mrs.  Crocker,  one  daughter  and 
several  sons  still  survive  him. 

It  was  about  1868  that  Mrs.  H.  B.  Lewis  suggested 
the  change  in  the  name  from  The  Junction  to  Engiewood. 
The  name  Engiewood  is  derived,  doubtless,  from  the 
home  of  the  ancient  outlaws,  Adam  Bell,  "Gym  of  the 
dough,"  and  William  Cloudsley.  These  noted  characters 
before  the  days  of  Robin  Hood  and  his  merry  men,  made 
their  home  in  the  forests  of  Engiewood,  near  Carlisle, 
in  England.  Many  centuries  later  the  name  was  given  to 
an  early  settlement  in  New  Jersey  and  in  1868  was  sug- 
gested by  Mrs.  Lewis,  who  formerly  resided  there,  as  a 
fitting  pseudonym  for  that  part  of  the  Town  of  Lake 
which  now  bears  the  name.  At  that  time  the  locality  was 
literally  a  forest  of  luxuriant  oak  trees.  When  the  set- 
tlers came,  the  oaks  Avere  wantonly  cut  down  and  the 
maples  and  elms  which  today  shade  the  streets  and  avenues 
of   Engiewood  have  been  planted   in  recent  years   to  take 


INTRODUCTORY 


15 


the   place   of   those    which    were   originally   placed    by   the 
hand  of  nature. 

E.  W.  Jarrett  was  the  first  school  teacher  and  was 
appointed  in  1863.  He  came  here  on  the  10th  of  July 
from  Pittsburgh.  Houses  were  very  few  but  he  succeeded 
in  getting  a  four  room  house  on  Wentworth  Avenue 
between    59th    and    60th    streets    where    he    lived    a    short 


Cook  County  Normal  School,  Stewart  Ave.  and  68th  St. 

time  and  then  moved  to  the  corner  of  63rd  and  School 
streets,  now  Princeton  Avenue.  Mrs.  Jarrett's  brother, 
Mr.  Carl  Dunn,  purchased  three  acres  from  School  Street 
to  Stewart  Avenue  from  Mr.  Westerfield,  who  had  built 
the  house  and  later  moved  South.  Even  now,  on  the 
alley  in  the  rear  of  Madigan's  store,  what  is  left  of  that 
old  house,  still  stands. 

Mr.  Timmerman's  home  was  at  the  corner  of  63rd 
Street  and  Stewart  Avenue  on  the  present  location  of  the 
Hotel    Reo   and    Marlowe   Theatre.      Patrick    Fagan,    who 


16  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

formerly  lived  at  Van  Buren  Street,  the  present  location 
of  the  La  Salle  Street  Railroad  station  in  the  city,  bought 
a  large  tract  of  land  between  Wentworth  Avenue  and  the 
Rock  island  and  opened  a  general  store  of  all  kinds  of 
merchandise  from  a  needle  to  a  threshing  machine  on 
State  Street  just  below  Burkey's  Tavern.  Michael  Reich 
located  near  59th  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue  and  his 
heirs  still  live  and  own  property  in  that  district.  T.  L. 
Gerber  located  at  62nd  and  Halsted  streets,  as  did  also 
Carl  Dunn,  Benj.  Ring,  J.  Darling,  and  Wm.  Wilcox. 
Later  settlers  were  A.  G.  Warner,  W.  H.  Brooks,  H.  B. 
Lewis,  H.  L.  Kent,  A.  B.  Condit,  M.  L.  Wright  and 
John  Barber. 

Beginning  in  1852  and  ending  about  1856  eight  im- 
portant railway  lines  were  projected  through  this  part 
of  the  Town  of  Lake. 

The  total  vote  polled  in  Englewood  at  this  time  was 
less  than  two  hundred. 

The  Englewood  district  became  a  prohibition  district 
owing  to  the  fact  of  the  location  of  the  Normal  School 
here  in  1868,  the  statutes  prohibiting  the  sale  of  liquor 
within  one  mile  either   way  of  such  an   institution. 

In  many  cases  it  was  prohibition  or  "dry"  in  name 
rather  than  in  fact.  Various  clubs  were  organized  with 
an  exceedingly  moist  atmosphere  in  different  parts  of  the 
prohibition  district,  which  was  supposed  to  extend  from 
55th  Street  (Garfield  Boulevard)  on  the  north  to  79th 
Street  on  the  south  and  from  Halsted  to  State  streets. 
This  is  one  of  the  reasons  that  Halsted  and  State  streets 
supported  an  unusual  number  of  liquor  stores  and  saloons. 

The  Township  or  Village  of  Lake  were  all  one  cor- 
poration and  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  39th  Street, 
on  the  east  by  State  Street,  on  the  south  by  87th  Street 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Township  of  Lyons,  which  was 
incorporated  as  a  village  with  the  above  given  boundaries 
in  1865  and  in  1867  the  charter  was  amended  and  special 
powers  given  to  the  authorities  to  legislate  for  the  entire 
territory  embraced  within  the  congressional  township.  The 
Town  of  Lake  embraced  within  its  limits  a  number  of 
villages,  using  the  word  village  in  the  generic  sense  and 
regardless  of  any  political   significance,  but  none  of  them 


INTRODUCTORY 


17 


was  incorporated,  each  being  a  part  of  the  Town  of  Lake. 
In  1865  Lake  had  less  than  700  inhabitants.  It  now  has 
probably  half  a  million. 

The  first  township  election  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1865 
and  Charles  G.  Ayers  was  chosen  clerk.  The  officers 
in  1868  were  Wm.  Gardner,  clerk,  A.  Colvin,  assessor, 
Daniel    Burkey,    Charles    Hoyle   and   Z.    Colman,    trustees. 


?.v> 


'»-■?-"  "vy^';'  :/ 


Englewood  High  and  Champlin  Schools,   62nd   and  School  Sts. 

The  village  records  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1872,  hence. 
a  complete  list  of  its  officers  cannot  be  given.  We  find. 
however,  the  supervisor  from  1870  to  1875  was  Z.  Colman. 
From  1875  to  1879  was  A.  B.  Condit.  From  1879  to 
1883,  George  Muirhead,  and  Wm.  Darling  from  1883  to 
1884. 

The  list  of  the  constables  from  1869  to  1885  includes 
Patrick  Grady,  J.  S.  Elligott,  Thos.  Gaghan,  John  G. 
Kelly,  Michael  Doran,  Edward  Cecil,  George  M.  Chase, 
Jacob  Cahm  and  David  Burke,  while  the  early  justices  of 
the  peace  were  R.  S.  Barrows,  G.  Titus  Williams,  W.  F. 
Thompson,  H.  H.  Handee,  W.  N.  Smith,  Mathew  Flem- 
ing, V.  P.  Cook,  M.  I.  Tierney,  John  R.  Cook,  V.  P. 
Cory,  and  G.   W.   Hotaling. 

About  the  time  of  the  big  fire,  October  9,  1871,  there 
was  a  great  rush  for  homes  in  Englewood  and  the  popu- 


18  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

lation  increased  very  rapidly.  The  district  from  55th 
Street,  now  Garfield  Boulevard,  Wentworth  Avenue  to 
Halsted  Street,  which  before  had  been  sparsely  settled 
with  small  homes,  was  laid  off  into  streets  and  lots  and 
sold  at  from  $100.00  to  $250.00,  a  very  fair  price.  Went- 
worth Avenue  was  the  popular  thoroughfare  and  in  1869 
the  property  at  the  southeast  corner  of  55th  Street  was 
purchased  for  the  Catholic  Church,  later  built  as  St. 
Anne's. 

The  first  map  of  Englewood  was  issued  in  1872.  This 
shows  a  settlement  extending  from  55th  Street  south  to 
71st,  east  from  Halsted  to  South  Park  Avenue.  The 
Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern,  the  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  &  Pacific  and  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chi- 
cago built  depots  at  62nd  and  63rd  streets.  The  Rock 
Island  also  had  a  station  at  Normal  Parkway,  which,  with 
the  Normal  School  as  a  nucleus,  formed  a  settlement 
of  its  own  called  variously,  Normalville  and  Normal  Park. 
What  is  now  named  Perry  Avenue  was  then  called  Clark 
Street. 

The  first  church,  the  Presbyterian,  stood  on  the  corner 
of  Yale  Avenue  and  63rd  Street. 

The  location  of  the  original  buildings  in  the  district 
of  Englewood,  as  shown  by  the  map  of  1872,  were  as 
follows :  On  the  boulevard  were  the  parsonage  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  corner  of  Wentworth  Avenue,  and  Cot- 
ton's residence,  corner  of  State  Street;  Burkey's  at  State 
and  56th  streets ;  the  Brooker  green-houses  just  south  of 
his  residence;  John  Rober's  on  the  line  of  58th  Street, 
west  of  State  Street ;  Mr.  Hastings  at  the  corner  of  Wal- 
lace and  61st  streets;  Patrick  S.  Fagan,  on  State  south 
of  60th  Street;  Daniel  Burkey  on  State  at  what  is  now 
61st  Street;  Tibbits  and  Sawyer's  houses  at  School  and 
Chestnut  streets;  J.  L.  Gerber's  at  62nd  and  Halsted 
streets;  Ring's  Hotel  stood  at  State  and  61st  streets; 
H.  B.  Lewis,  A.  G.  Warner,  W.  H.  Brooks  and  M.  S. 
Patrick  had  their  residences  east  of  State  and  north  of 
63rd  Street  and  the  school  house  stood  on  the  line  of  62nd 
Street  and  west  of  School  Street.  A  number  of  small 
houses  also  stood  on  the  west  side  of  Yale  and  Harvard 
avenues,  between  63rd  and  65th  streets,  while  south  of 
the  Junction   Depot   was   a   cluster   of    squatter's   shanties. 


INTRODUCTORY 


19 


Dr.  Dale's  house  was  located  on  the  corner  of  Mack  and 
64th  streets,  while  Mrs.  Barnum's  residence,  at  Went- 
worth  Avenue  and  65th  Street,  was  the  most  southerly 
dwelling  in  Englewood  at  that  time,  except  those  south 
of  67th  Street,  which  will  be  found  mentioned  in  the 
sketch  of  Normalville. 

W.  H.  Brooks  erected  the  first  house  on  Wabash 
Avenue  south  of  63rd  Street  in  1867.  The  second  was 
built  on  the  east  side  of  the  avenue  for  R.  H.  Lewis 
in  1868.  The  first  house  on  Michigan  Avenue  within  the 
limits  of  Englewood  was  built  for  Captain  Hawks  in 
1869.  John  D.  Wright  lived  in  the  Nash  house,  corner 
of  63rd  and  State  streets ;  this  property  was  purchased 
by  A.  G.  Warner  in  1867.  The  recognized  title  to  this 
and  other  property  in  Englewood  was  disputed  by  a 
claimant  named  Beech ;  the  matter  was  put  in  litigation, 
but  was  finally  compromised  by  the  residents  paying  to 
Beech  his  claim  of  fifty  cents  per  front  foot  before  the 
court  had  given  a  decision  on  the  real  merits  of  the  case. 

One  of  the  dreams  that  did  not  come  true  of  Engle- 
wood was  the  Englewood  Female  College.  About  1868 
a  Mr.  M.  M.  Tooke,  president  of  the  Rock  River  College 
Association,  came  to  Chicago  claiming  to  have  a  fund 
of  $75,000.00  (an  immense  amount  in  those  days)  for 
the  purpose  of  founding  a  college  near  the  city.  He 
came  to  Englewood  and  interested  a  number  of  our  promi- 
nent people,  especially  real  estate  owners,  and  the  college 
was  incorporated  in  April,  1869.  Englewood  people  were 
liberal  in  their  donations  of  land  and  money,  but  Mr. 
Tooke's  $75,000.00  failed  to  materialize  as  also  did  the 
Englewood  Female  College. 


20 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


111  PI 


CHAPTER  II 

HALSTED  AND  63rd  STREETS 

THROUGH  the  '50s  and  up  into  the  early  '60s  the 
Halsted  district  was  devoted  almost  entirely  to  truck 
gardening,  farming  and  a  small  nursery.  At  63rd  Street, 
or  Junction  Avenue,  a  saloon  had  been  established  with 
creature  comforts  for  man  and  beast  and  in  fact,   several 


The  First  Big   Business  Block  on   Halsted  Street 

more  were  soon  established  both  north  and  south  of  the 
63rd  Street  line.  Farmers  through  the  south  as  far  as 
Blue  Island  and  the  Town  of  Bloom  brought  their  hay 
to  market  here  and  all  stopped  for  refreshments  on  their 
way  to  the  Stock  Yards. 

A  cholera  epidemic  reached  The  Junction  in  the  years 
1854  and  1855  but  good  nursing  and  medical  care  saved 
all  but  two  men,  temporary  residents  who  died  in  this 
district. 

In  the  later  '60s  several  divisions  were  platted  off 
west  of  Halsted  and  north  of  63rd  Street  and  a  number 
of  small  homes  were  built  in  this  locality,  most  of  which 

21 


22  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

were  distinguished  by  fine  gardens,  rich  not  only  in 
utility,  but  in  the  beauty  of  the  old  fashioned  flowers 
grown  therein.  Along  Halsted  north  from  63rd  on  both 
sides  of  the  street  quite  a  number  of  houses  and  small 
stores  were  erected,  but  there  was  no  distinct  improve- 
ment in  the  district  until  the  early  '70s  and  after  the 
Chicago  fire. 

Harry  O.  Wilson  informs  me  that  in  1870  he  accom- 
panied Michael  Reich  over  to  63rd  and  Halsted  streets 
to  attend  a  sale  of  some  properties  but  came  back  disap- 
pointed because  they  wanted  as  high  as  $8.00  a  front  foot 
for  that  in  the  vicinity  of  63rd  Street  while  $6.00  was 
asked  for  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  62nd  Street.  With 
the  growth  of  population  after  the  fire  came  rapid  in- 
creases in  value  but  at  no  time  were  they  excessive.  The 
northwest  corner  of  Halsted  and  63rd  streets  was  after- 
ward sold  in  1885  for  $4,800.  In  1887  the  northeast 
corner  of  63rd  and  Halsted,  150x125,  sold  the  same 
year  for  $15,000  and  almost  everyone  looked  upon  the 
buyers  as  reckless  speculators  who  must  surely  lose  their 
good  money. 

About  this  time  people  became  wise  to  the  value  of 
homes  on  the  beautiful  prairie  west  of  Halsted  both  south 
and  north  of  63rd  Street.  Quite  a  colony  was  formed  at 
what  was  known  as  Englewood  on  the  Hill  or  Marl- 
borough at  69th  Street  west  from  Center  Avenue,  now 
Racine  Avenue,  and  a  prosperous  group  of  artisans 
planted  trees  and  distinguished  this  locality  by  their  pretty 
homes. 

At  a  very  early  period  in  our  growth  the  district  at 
63rd  and  Halsted  streets  became  locally  known  as  Linden 
Grove  as  a  fine  growth  of  linden  trees  occupied  much  of 
the  territory.  It  enjoyed  a  slow  but  steady  growth ; 
many  of  the  new  people  coming  in  were  Germans  com- 
ing from  the  "Fatherland"  direct,  or  from  other  parts 
of  the  country,  and  after  the  great  fire  of  1871  there 
was  much  heavier  immigration,  and  many  of  the  new- 
comers were  from  the  West  and  North  Sides  of  Chicago. 
The  real  building  boom  at  Halsted  Street  commenced  in 
the  early  '80s.  The  Bromstedt  building  at  the  northeast 
corner  of   63rd  and   Halsted   streets   was  the   first   of   the 


HALSTED  AND  63rd  STREETS 


23 


larger  buildings.  Jesse  Sherwood's  old  home  stood  on 
the  site  of  the  present  Englewood  Theatre.  It  was  a 
substantial  though  old  fashioned  house  occupying  a  lot  of 
90  feet  frontage  and  this  together  with  a  barn  in  the  rear 
was  offered  for  sale  for  $2,600  cash  in  1872,  as  Mr.  Sher- 
wood was  building  his  beautiful  new  home  on  Harvard 
Avenue   just   south   of   63rd   Street.      D.   R.   Tipton   about 


Northwest   Corner   59th   and  Hoisted  Streets 


this  time  built  upon  his  property  just  north  of  the  Em- 
press Theatre  location  and  many  other  buildings  of  a 
substantial  character  followed,  so  that  at  the  time  of  the 
World's  Fair  in  1893  this  part  of  Englewood  was  equally 
settled  with  that  of  the  more  eastern  district. 

Halsted  Street  property  was  quoted  at  $50.00  a  front 
foot  but  many  thought  it  could  not  maintain  that  price. 
The  coming  of  the  street  cars  on  Halsted  and  63rd  streets 
enhanced  values  in  every  direction  and  when  the  electric 
power  cars  came  in  1893  we  thought  we  had  reached  the 
perfection  of  transportation. 

The  business  district,  while  it  was  the  heaviest  within 
a  block  either  way  from  63rd  and  Halsted  streets,  ex- 
tended sporadically  from  55th  Street  (Garfield  Boulevard), 
south    to    71st    Street    with    quite    an    important    center    at 


24  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

69th  Street.  New  storerooms  were  erected  and  many  of 
the  old  frame  residences  were  changed  into  storerooms 
by  building  modern  fronts  and  moving  them  forward  to 
the  lot  lines. 

Englewood  progressed  steadily  for  the  next  decade 
and  the  vacant  lots  west  of  Halsted  Street  as  far  as 
Ashland  Avenue  and  between  Garfield  Boulevard  and 
74th  Street  became  less  numerous  and  many  subdivisions 
were  put  on  the  market.  A  thrifty  class  of  artisans  and 
mechanics  built  neat  homes,  and  the  streets  which  were 
improved  by  macadam  were  lined  with  beautiful  trees, 
and  the  lighting  system  changed  from  the  gasoline  lamps 
to  the  improved  incandescent  gas  lights,  made  this  a  very 
desirable  residence  district  with  here  and  there  a  corner 
devoted  to  a  small  business  center  consisting  always  of  a 
grocery  and  market,  and  sometimes  a  drug  store.  Few 
apartment  buildings  were  erected  in  this  district  at  this 
time.  Everyone  was  ambitious  to  own  a  little  home  of 
his  own  and  with  the  industry  and  sturdy  independence 
of  the  American  workman,  they  were  proud  to  be  above 
the  usual  rent  paying  tenant. 

The  greatest  change  and  improvement,  however,  of  the 
Halsted  Street  and  western  districts  occurred  within  the 
last  decade.  Corner  properties  which  were  formerly  held 
at  from  $50.00  to  $100.00  a  foot  advanced  to  the  thou- 
sands. Modern  and  expensive  stores  replaced  primitive 
frame  structures  and  today  the  Halsted  Street  business 
district  from  59th  to  69th  streets  is  distinguished  as  being- 
one  of  the  finest  in  our  great  city.  Stores  of  all  kinds 
of  merchandise  sought  locations  here,  and  have  pros- 
pered beyond  the  wildest  dreams  of  speculation.  The 
vicinity  of  63rd  and  Halsted  streets  is  now  the  center  for 
the  largest  groups  of  furniture  stores  outside  of  the  loop. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  shoe  trade,  ladies'  clothing 
and  other  lines. 

While  much  of  this  is  due  to  previous  enterprise,  the 
real  impetus  was  given  by  the  organization  of  the  Engle- 
wood Business  Men's  Association  which  is  now  com- 
posed of  nearly  500  enterprising  business  men.  Having 
first  secured  excellent  asphalt  paving  for  the  streets,  they 


HALSTED  AND  63rd  STREETS  25 

agitated  for  more  light  and  the  splendid  five  group  electric 
lamps  that  line  Halsted  Street  from  59th  to  69th  streets 
and  from  Wallace  to  Carpenter  streets  brilliantly  light 
np,  and  make  this  district  the  mecca  for  shoppers. 
Owing  to  the  rapid  growth  of  our  city  it  has  been  neces- 
sary for  the  individuals  to  assume  many  of  the  functions 
rightly  to  be  expected  from  the  city  government,  so  that 
now  the  lighting,  cleaning  and  sprinkling  of  this  district 
is  done  with  funds  contributed  by  this  enterprising  asso- 
ciation of  business  men. 

Should  the  shades  of  one  of  the  old  settlers  from 
1865  to  1875  visit  the  corner  of  63rd  and  Halsted  streets 
he  would  wonder  what  future  improvement  could  be  made. 
The  well-worn,  rutty  and  almost  always  muddy  roads  have 
given  place  to  beautiful  asphaltum  paved  streets  and  the 
few  and  far  between  single  plank  sidewalks  are  replaced 
by  smooth  concrete  walks  and  the  rusticity  has  passed 
away,  even  to  the  rows  of  linden  trees  that  divided  the 
sidewalks  from  the  driveway. 

There  was  an  old  well  at  the  northeast  corner  of 
63rd  and  Halsted  streets  to  which  all  of  the  small  popu- 
lace was  drawn  for  its  water.  The  first  house  built  south 
of  63rd  Street  on  the  west  side  of  Halsted  Street  was  a 
farm  house,  at  71st  Place,  by  Louis  Grosscup,  a  farmer. 
The  pest-house  or  smallpox  house,  as  it  was  called  then, 
was  located  at  67th  and  Morgan  streets  and  was  always 
flooded  in  the  springtime  and  early  summer.  No  road 
was  built  to   reach   it. 

Among  the  first  residents  of  this  district  was  Mr. 
Gerber,  who  was  located  at  62nd  and  Halsted  streets, 
John  Josenhans,  who  was  at  6131  Halsted  Street,  Barthol- 
omew Lyons,  also  directly  across  the  street  at  6132,  and 
had  as  a  neighbor  John  Smith ;  Philip  Bertemes  also  at 
6313  Halsted  Street,  and  a  Air.  Clark  on  the  corner  north 
of  him.  Jesse  Sherwood,  also  about  100  feet  east  of 
Halsted  Street  on  63rd  Street ;  John  Commerf ord  and  a 
Mr.  Orr  east  of  that.  At  63rd  and  Wallace  streets  was 
Ed  Carmels  and  a  Mr.  Eastman ;  at  63rd  and  Green 
streets,  Christian  Guderyahn  had  made  his  home,  also 
J  ohn    Snyder. 


26 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


s 

S|.| 

Sis 


HALSTED  AND  63rd  STREETS  27 

At  62nd  wStreet  and  Spencer  Avenue,  now  Peoria 
Street,  Daniel  R.  Musser  built  a  home.  Fred  Tieman 
lived  at  715  65th  Street,  Frank  Crocker  at  730  62nd 
Street,   and  Richard   T.   Tews  at  63rd  and   Green   streets. 

In  1882  Lewis  I.  Musser  was  the  official  Englewood 
cow  puncher.  He  herded  110  cows  belonging  to  the 
people  of  Englewood  and  pastured  them  between  63rd 
and  67th  streets,  now  Marquette  Road,  from  Wallace  to 
Halsted  streets,  and  from  63rd  to  75th  streets  west  of 
Morgan  street.  He  watered  them  at  a  big  well  and  great 
pond  at  66th  Street  and  Parnell  Avenue  and  also  at  a 
marvelous  spring  then  at  63rd  Street  and  Ashland  Avenue. 
This  far  west  neighborhood  was  the  picnic  grove  for  all 
Englewood. 

Linden  Grove  reached  from  61st  to  63rd  streets  and 
from  Halsted  to  Morgan  streets,  and  east  to  Wallace 
Street. 

The  earlier  merchants  of  this  part  of  Englewood  have 
all  passed  away  but  the  oldest  inhabitants  tell  very  inter- 
esting stories  of  the  primitive  manner  in  which  business 
was  conducted,  largely  on  a  barter  and  trade  basis.  In 
1879,  Charles  Shilling  had  a  shoe  store  at  6319  Halsted 
Street,  one  of  the  first  stores  in  the  vicinity.  Christian 
Thilmont  had  a~ ■''grocery  at  6118  Halsted  Street  and  Henry 
Figenbaum  owned  the  road  house  at  Englewood  Avenue 
and  Halsted  Street.  Fred  Benseman  had  the  ''Farmer's 
Home"  at  62nd  and  Halsted  streets.  Charlie  Timms  had 
a  saloon  at  61st  and  Halsted  streets  and  one  time  built 
a  boat  for  his  young  son  Fred  to  go  riding  in  the  wide 
and  deep  ditches  in  that  locality.  A  painter  named  Kelder 
lived  just  east  of  the  Haskins  real  estate  office. 

In  1882  other  merchants  had  come.  Henry  Backofen 
opened  a  grocery  at  62nd  and  Halsted  streets  and  John 
Guderyahn  also  opened  a  grocery  at  Englewood  Avenue 
and  Halsted  Street.  Judge  Theodore  Ehler's  father  was 
the  village  blacksmith  at  62nd  and  Halsted  streets.  Jake 
Warner  had  a  saloon  at  61st  and  Halsted  streets,  while 
Wm.  Bromstedt,  who  still  lives  in  the  vicinity,  conducted 
the  "Farmer's  Home"  at  the  northeast  corner  of  63rd  and 
Halsted  streets.  Theodore  Musser  had  a  meat  market 
at  6203   Halsted   Street,  and  what   was  always   a   subject 


28 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


of  great  interest  to  the  younger  element  was  Julius  Peter- 
sen's wooden  shoe  factory  at  6230  Halsted  Street,  the 
power  of  which  was  provided  by  a  horse  driven  around 
a  circle.  Petersen  not  only  turned  out  wooden  shoes  but 
the  soles  for  leather  shoes  which  were  largely  used  at 
that  time  by  farmers  and  laborers. 

P"or  convenience  sake  we  have  used  numbers  on  the 
streets  which  did  not  exist  at  that  time  but  the  locations 
would  correspond  with  these  numbers  of  today. 


CHAPTER  III 

GENERAL   NOTES 

THE  growth  of  Englewood  through  the  later  seventies 
and  the  eighties  was  not  unusual,  though  a  great 
many  people  came  here  immediately  after  the  great  fire  in 
1871.  The  town  matured  into  regularly  laid  out  streets, 
some  of  which  were  improved  and  all  graded,  sidewalks 
were  laid  and  the  convenience  of  water  coming  from  the 
water  works  on  the  lake  as  well  as  gas,  and  the  erstwhile 
village  assumed  small  city  proportions.  Hundreds  of  small 
houses  and  cottages  were  built  along  the  street  from 
57th   Street  to  the  Ten   Mile  House  at  Auburn   Park. 

Many  of  our  prominent  residents  erected  more  pre- 
tentious residences,  many  of  which  stand  to  this  clay 
(1923).  Wentworth  Avenue  was  recognized  as  the 
principal  business  street  from  Garfield  Boulevard  south 
and  quite  a  number  of  three  story  brick  blocks  were 
built,  among  which  may  be  named  the  one  at  60th  Street, 
die  Ingraham  between  61st  Street  and  the  Port  Wayne 
track.  The  Morony  Building  was  the  pioneer  of  these  and 
still  stands  on  the  west  side  of  Wentworth  Avenue  just 
north  of  the  Fort  Wayne  right-of-way.  The  Tillotson 
Block  on  61st  Street  between  Wentworth  Avenue  and 
La  Salle  Street  was  probably  the  most  pretentious  private 
structure  in  the  town  and  was  the  home  of  the  postofifice, 
several  stores  and  a  really  good  hotel. 

On  62nd,  or  Barney  Street,  there  was  a  group  of 
business  houses  east  from  Wentworth  Avenue  including 
Barney  Bros.'  grocery  and  L.  W.  Beck's  news  depot. 

63rd  Street,  or  as  it  was  first  known,  Junction  Avenue, 
had  several  good  sized  buildings  including  Underwood's 
Hotel  and  a  group  of  stores  extending  east  to  the  rail- 
road right-of-way,  but  it  remained  until  the  eighties  for 
63rd  Street  to  begin  coming  into  its  own,  as  the  most 
important  crosstown  street  in  the  south  part  of  the  city. 
A  fine  block  was  put  up  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Went- 
worth Avenue  and  63rd  Street,  then  came  the  Presby- 
terian   Church   at   the   corner    of    Yale    and    63rd    and    the 

29 


30  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

White  Block  across  the  street  next  west  was  built  and 
was  for  many  years  the  home  of  the  many  Masonic 
organizations.  The  opposite  or  north  side  of  the  street 
was  built  solidly  with  frame  buildings,  mostly  two  stories 
in  height,  and  the  Good  Templars  built  Temperance  Hall 
nearly  opposite  Yale  Avenue.  West  of  that  the  Union 
Veterans  Association  built  a  Memorial  Hall,  later  taken 
over  by  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  which  stood 
until  crowded  out  of  the  way  by  the  coming  of  the  elevated 
railroad,  and  a  beautiful  new  hall  was  built  at  6236 
Princeton  Avenue.  The  first  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  built  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  School  Street,  now  Princeton 
Avenue,  which  was  later  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  lot  in 
anticipation  of  the  magnificent  big  brick  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
structure  which  never  came.  In  the  nineties  63rd  Street 
developed  with  unusual  vigor  and  many  merchants  for- 
merly on  Wentworth  Avenue  sought  locations  on  the 
east  and  west  street.  The  Abel  Building,  now  the  Mer- 
rick, was  built  at  the  southeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and 
Stewart  Avenue  and  is  today  the  largest  office  and  busi- 
ness building  in  that  particular  district.  The  Newman 
Building  had  been  built  across  the  street  on  the  south- 
west corner  some  years  before  and  was  filled  with  wide- 
awake merchants,  the  second  floor  being  occupied  by  physi- 
cians and  the  third  floor  had  flats  and  residences.  Across 
the  street  from  this  on  the  northwest  corner,  the  Tim- 
mermans  built  the  Timmerman  Hotel,  afterwards  the 
Hotel  Julian  and  now  (1923)  known  as  the  Hotel  Reo. 
Connected  with  it  was  the  Timmerman  Opera  House, 
which  was  opened  October  10,  1890,  by  Julia  Marlowe 
and  her  superb  company  in  "As  You  Like  It."  Harry 
Thearle  was  the  manager,  and  the  opening  was  a  grand 
social  event  for  Englewood  and  even  Chicago.  This 
theatre  having  been  several  times  rebuilt,  is  now  known 
as  the  Marlowe  Theatre.  West  of  this,  Fire  Marshal 
Ed  Murphy  built  a  three  story  stone  front  building  and, 
a  few  lots  farther  west,  Schuyler  Sigler  built  the  first 
Englewood  postofnce,  and  Postmaster  Col.  C.  W.  Can- 
moved  the  postoffice  from  the  Ingraham  Block  on  Went- 
worth Avenue  over  to  63rd  Street  at  the  head  of  Eggle- 
ston    Avenue,    or    Dickey    Street    as    it    was    then    known. 


GENERAL  NOTES  31 

Former  Fire  Marshal  George  Byrne  built  a  large  three 
story  brick  building  just  west  of  the  postofiice.  Some 
years  later  George  Muirhead  built  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  63rd  Street  and  Normal  Avenue  and  gradually  extended 
his  building  until  it  reached  the  alley.  The  eastern  half 
of  this  building  is  now  (1923)  occupied  by  the  postoffice. 
A  three  story  brick  building  had  been  built  opposite 
George  Byrne's  block  which  had  been  occupied  by  the 
Courtland   Hotel   and   various   business    enterprises. 

What  is  now  the  beautiful  Normal  Boulevard  was  in 
the  earlier  history  of  Englewood  Bissell  Street  from 
55th  to  57th  streets,  and  was  later  opened  through  south 
and  became  Wright  Street,  then  Butler  Street,  then  Nor- 
mal Avenue  and  finally  Normal  Boulevard.  At  the  north- 
west corner  Daniel  Wink  had  a  hardware  and  stove  store. 
Next  to  this  west  was  a  dry  goods  store,  across  the 
street  on  the  southwest  corner  was  a  grocery  owned  by 
William  Musk,  next  to  it  was  Hilker's  shoe  store  and 
next  to  this  Henry  Vail's  bakery,  and  on  the  alley  Hen- 
derson's dry  goods  store,  across  the  alley  John  Bredin's 
grocery  and  market  finally  occupied  four  store  fronts. 
Another  stone  front  block  was  built  at  the  corner  of 
Parnell  Avenue  and  63rd  Street  by  Mr.  Curth.  A  few 
small  frame  buildings  filled  the  space  to  the  Western 
Indiana  depot.  On  the  opposite  or  north  side  of  the 
street  Dr.  Pettit  had  put  up  a  number  of  frame  buildings 
and  Brayton  Bushee  built  the  large  building  which  still 
stands  there,  and  next  east  of  P.  J.  O'Connell's  old  resi- 
dence the  present  building  was  built  for  the  Co-operative 
Tailors.  An  old  brick  building,  two  stories  in  height, 
joined  on  the  east  a  row  of  old  frame  structures  whose 
chief  merit  was  furnishing  work  for  the  fire  department 
several  times  a  year. 

Imposing  structures  have  since  been  built  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue,  also 
the  southwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Harvard  Avenue, 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Eggleston 
Avenue  and  the  northeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and 
Normal  Boulevard.  At  this  time  there  are  hopes  of  soon 
securing  a  splendid  large  family  hotel  as  well  as  a  large 
high  class  moving  picture  theatre. 


32  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

The  first  street  railway  was  extended  to  Englewoocl 
on  the,  State  Street  line  in  the  summer  of  1882,  on  Went- 
worth  Avenue  in  1884.  although  the  line  on  Halsted 
Street  had  been  extended  to  63rd  Street  as  early  as  1883. 
The  Racine  (Center  Avenue  line)  was  extended  to  Engle- 
wood  in  1896,  the  Ashland  Avenue  line  in  1889,  the 
Western  Avenue  line  in  1896  and  the  Kedzie  Avenue 
line  the  same  year. 

The    question    of    annexation    to    the    city    of    Chicago 
was    submitted    to    the    Chicago    Council    April    14,    1890, 
and  had  been  authorized  and  approved  both  by  the  voters 
of    the   city   of    Chicago   and    the   Town    of    Lake    ( Engle 
wood)   June  29,   1889. 

The  year  1889  will  ever  be  memorable  in  the  history 
of  Chicago  due  to  the  accession  of  an  extensive  area  of 
territory  to  the  original  municipal  limits.  On  the  28th 
day  of  )unt\  1829,  the  city  embraced  about  44  square 
miles  of  territory  and  about  850,000  people.  On  the  day 
following,  by  vote  of  the  people,  the  city  of  Lake  View 
and  the  towns  of  Lake.  Hyde  Park,  Jefferson  and  Cicero, 
aggregating  128.24  miles  of  territory  and  nearly  250,000 
people,  were  annexed  to  and  became  a  part  of  Chicago, 
thus  constituting  one  great  metropolis  extending  twenty- 
four  miles  from  north  to  south  and  from  4]/2  to  l0]/2 
miles  from  east  to  west,  embracing  within  these  limits 
more  than  a  million  people.  By  this  consolidation,  six 
independent  municipal  corporations  each  having  a  legis- 
lative and  executive  department  of  government,  each  con- 
trolled and  operating  in  more  or  less  different  systems 
and  methods  of  conducting  public  affairs,  were  at  once 
merged  into  one  municipality  under  the  authority  and 
control  of  one  city  government. 

On  July  22,  1889,  an  ordinance  was  passed  dividing 
the  former  Town  of  Lake  into  the  29th,  30th  and  31st 
wards. 

Within  the  past  year  a  special  act  of  the  legislature 
dividing  the  city  of  Chicago  into  fifty  wards  instead  of 
thirty-five,  as  formerly,  placed  the  Englewood  territory 
in  the  new  wards  of   16th,    17th,    18th  and    19th. 


CHAPTER  IV 

ENGLEWOOD  HOMES 

IT  WAS  in  the  '80s  that  the  most  noted  progress  was 
made  in  the  building  of  homes  in  Englewood.  Many 
additions  and  subdivisions  were  platted  and  laid  out  be- 
tween 55th  Street  (Garfield  Boulevard)  and  71st  Street, 
from  Wallace  Street  east  almost  to  South  Park  Avenue. 
Beautiful  maple  trees  were  planted  along  the  street  line 
and  in  a  few  years  the  district  of  Englewood  became 
especially  noted  for  its  clean,  beautiful  streets  and  shaded 
drives.  While  a  great  majority  of  the  homes  built  were 
modest  frame  structures,  still  ground  was  cheap  enough 
for  the  wealthier  class  to  build  really  pretentious  man- 
sions, among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  residence  of 
C.  H.  Knight  at  64th  Street  and  Harvard  Avenue,  P.  W. 
George  at  the  northeast  corner  of  School  and  Chestnu' 
streets,  Asa  B.  Swift  at  Wentworth  Avenue  and  68th 
Street,  Captain  A.  Philips  at  Yale  Avenue  and  65th 
Street,  John  B.  Lanyon's  "house  of  seven  gables"  at  Ross 
Avenue  and  66th  Street,  D.  J.  Hubbard's  residence  on 
Harvard  Avenue  between  65th  and  66th  Streets,  C.  S. 
Redfield  at  Yale  Avenue  and  65th  Street,  A.  A.  Abbott 
on  Harvard  Avenue  between  63rd  and  64th  streets.  Dr. 
A.  H.  Champlin  at  61st  and  School  streets,  Dr.  C.  H. 
Lovewell  at  61st  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue,  C.  H. 
Caldwell  on  Perry  Avenue  between  67th  and  68th  streets, 
and  A.  H.  Veeder  at  63rd  Street  and  Harvard  Avenue. 
Of  course,  there  were  many  beautiful  homes  not  men- 
tioned here,  but  space  and  lack  of  memory  prevent  their 
being  named.  During  this  time  the  district  was  provided 
with  waterworks,  gas  works  and  other  conveniences  of 
city  suburban  life. 

Along  about  1890  began  the  agitation  for  the  Christo- 
pher Columbus  Memorial  Exposition.  After  an  exhaustive 
campaign  for  funds  and  a  contest  for  location  it  was 
decided  to  place  this  great  exposition  upon  the  lake  front 
within  the  confines  of  Jackson  Park.  After  two  years 
employment   of    hundreds    of    thousands   of    men   and   the 

33 


34  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

best  brains  in  the  world,  the  exposition  was  thrown  open 
to  the  world  May  1,  1893,  and  President  Grover  Cleve- 
land touched  the  button  which  set  the  machinery  in 
operation  and  half  a  million  flags  and  pennants  flying 
in  the  cool  lake  breeze.  We  will  not  attempt  to  give 
any  description  of  the  Fair.  It  has  made  a  place  in 
history  for  itself  as  the  largest,  grandest  and  most  perfect 
world's  exposition  ever  attempted  and  Englewood,  with 
all  Chicagoans,  shared  its  glory. 

Up  to  this  time  Englewood  had  few  apartment  build- 
ings or  flats  other  than  the  ordinary  two-flat  building  or 
more  rarely  four-flats,  but  the  district  east  of  us  which 
was  almost  entirely  unoccupied  up  to  that  time,  sprang 
up  as  a  veritable  wilderness  of  apartment  buildings.  It 
was  not  necessary  in  many  cases  to  remove  good  homes 
as  it  would  have  been  in  Englewood  and  property  was 
fully  as  cheap.  At  this  time  also,  came  the  elevated 
railroad  trains  of  three  or  four  cars  pulled  by  small  loco- 
motives burning  anthracite  coal.  The  elevation  was  built 
in  the  alley  between  State  Street  and  Wabash  Avenue  up 
to  40th  Street,  where  it  took  a  two  block  turn  to  the 
east,  then  south  in  the  alley  to  63rd  Street,  then  east 
to  the  exposition  ground  in  Jackson  Park.  It  was  prophe- 
sied then  that  the  unsightly  steel  of  the  elevated  road 
would  forever  ruin  the  business  prospects  of  63rd  Street, 
but  instead,  it  made  the  street  one  of  the  best  business 
sections  in  the  city  and  today,  there  is  not  a  vacant  foot 
of   property    from    South   Park  Avenue   to   its   terminus. 

It  was  a  number  of  years  later  before  Englewood 
secured  a  branch  of  the  elevated  road.  A  right  of  way 
was  purchased  from  58th  Street  west  just  south  of  59th 
Street  to  Princeton  Avenue  where  it  curved  south  to  63rd 
Street  and  west  to  Loomis  Street,  which  is  now  (1923) 
the  western  terminus. 

A  branch  south  was  also  built  from  63rd  to  69th 
streets  with  several  curves,  making  the  terminal  west  of 
Normal   Boulevard. 

The  building  of  the  elevated  road  into  Englewood  gave 
an  impetus  to  the  building  of  apartment  buildings  so  that 
every  corner  is  occupied  by  one  and  some  interspersed  in 
the  central  parts  of  the  blocks,    The  location,  of  Hamilton 


ENGLEWOOD  HOMES 


35 


Park  at  72nd  Street  caused  this  beautiful  section  of  the 
town  to  grow  very  rapidly  and  apartment  buildings  arc 
numerous  on  all  of  the  streets  from  State  Street  west, 
giving  it  a  much  greater  population  than  where  a  strictly 
residence   district   prevails. 

Jn  another  part  of  this  volume  we  tell  of  the  churches 


63rd  avd  Halsted    Where   the   Elevated   R.   R.    avd   Interurbav    Meet 


oi  Englewood  and  the  schools;  their  size  and  complete- 
ness are  a  compliment  to  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  side 
of  Englewood's  people.  Stewart  Avenue  is  essentially  a 
street  of  churches  and  there  is  at  least  one  church  on 
every  corner  between  Englewood  Avenue  (62nd  Place ) 
south  to  72nd  Street.  We  might  observe  here  that  Stew- 
art Avenue  was  originally  intended  for  the  north  and  south 
boulevard  of  Englewood.  but  the  fact  that  it  did  nut 
begin  at  its  full  width  until  61st  Street  and  was  broken 
at  68th  Street  by  the  Normal  School  caused  the  South 
Park  Commissioners  to  make  Normal  Avenue  the  boule- 
vard, and  although  it  is  broken  by  several  jogs  at  65th 
and  67th   streets,  these  are   soon  to  be  rectified. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  '80s  all  of  the  property  west 
from  Wallace  Street  to  Center  Avenue  was  platted  off 
into   city    lots    and    within    the    next    ten    or    twelve    vears 


36  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

was  built  up  as  thoroughly  as  was  that  of  central  Engle- 
wood.  The  district  from  Halsted  Street  west  became 
the  home  of  many  working  people  who  built  largely  of 
brick  and  stone  structures,  many  of  them  to  house  two 
or  more  families.  Beautiful  trees  lined  the  streets  even 
before  they  were  paved.  The  old  gasoline  system  of 
lighting  gave  place  to  the  incandescent  gas  lamps  and 
they  in  turn  to  the  beautiful  electric  lighting  system  now 
in  operation.  In  the  meantime,  59th  Street  became  a 
business  thoroughfare  and  many  prosperous  and  enter- 
prising business  houses  were  located  there.  63rd  Street 
continued  its  business  progress  west  of  Halsted  Street  to 
a  center  at  what  is  now  Racine  Avenue,  later  to  a  half 
mile  further  west  to  Ashland  Avenue.  This  in  turn 
became  intermediate  to  Western  Avenue  and  west  of  that, 
almost  continuous  to  Chicago  Lawn,  is  a  prosperous,  enter- 
prising and  handsome  business  thoroughfare.  In  fact. 
Cord  Street  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  prosperous 
and  best  developed  cross  street  in  the  great  city  of 
Chicago.  69th  Street,  which  in  the  early  '80s  almost 
rivaled  63rd  Street,  developed  a  number  of  prosperous 
business  centers  at  the  principle  cross  streets  and  is  almost 
exclusively  devoted  to  business  from  State  Streets  to 
Western  Avenue. 

Each  year  witnessed  new  divisions  and  subdivisions 
laid  out  farther  south  and  west.  A  beautiful  park  was 
located  at  67th  Street  and  Kedzie  Avenue  known  as  Mar- 
quette Park,  which  is  now  being  beautified  and  improved 
as  a  playground  for  the  people.  The  building  of  Mar- 
quette Park  made  a  boulevard  necessary  on  67th  Street 
which  is  known  as  Marquette  Road  and  extends  on  67th 
Street  to  Vernon  Avenue,  where  it  makes  a  jog  of  one 
block  to  66th  Street  and  runs  east  to  Jackson  Park. 

The  rapid  development  of  this  western  section  caused 
the  board  of  South  Park  Commissioners  to  build  two 
more  small  parks,  the  one  at  67th  and  Racine  Avenue 
extending  west  to  Loomis  Street  being  known  as  Ogden 
Park  and  contains  61  acres  with  a  beautiful  field  house, 
artificial  lake,  swimming  pool,  outdoor  and  indoor  gym- 
nasium, baseball  and  tennis  grounds  and  all  facilities  and 
all   conveniences    for    recreation    and    entertainment.      The 


ENGLEWOOD  HOMES 


37 


splendid  field  house  also  contains  a  branch  of  the  Chicago 
Public  Library  and  is  a  community  center  of  worthy 
prominence.  Loomis  Street  was  converted  into  a  boule- 
vard north  to  Garfield  Boulevard  (55th  Street)  where 
it  terminates  in  Sherman  Park,  almost  an  exact  repro- 
duction of  Ogden  Park. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that   the   location   of   these 


Euglewood  Baptist  Church,  1890,  Betiveen  School  St.  and  Stewart  Av, 


parks  and  community  centers  assisted  greatly  in  the  won- 
derful growth  of  Euglewood  west  of  Halsted  Street. 

The  elevation  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  and  Belt  Line 
railroad  improved  the  traffic  facilities  of  the  far  western 
territory  so  that  many  important  manufacturing  institu- 
tions have  located  along  that  district.  Hundreds  of  beau- 
tiful small  homes,  cottages,  bungalows  and  double 
apartment  buildings  with  their  neat  grounds  have  made 
this  one  of  the  prettiest  residence  sections  of  the  city  and 


38  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

the  splendid  school  facilities  and  educational  advantages 
have  done  much  for  the  Americanization  of  a  largely 
foreign  populace.  No  district  in  the  city  outvies  this  part 
of  Englewood  in  its  devotion  to  its  country,  as  was  amply 
attested  during  the  late  war  when  every  cottage  and  home 
displayed  one  or  more  proud  service  stars  in  its  windows 
and  alas,  in  many  cases,  the  blue  stars  were  changed  to 
gold  by  the  death  of  some  youthful  hero. 

With  the  growth  and  development  of  the  residence 
district  on  either  side  of  Halsted  Street,  that  thorough- 
fare, for  many  years  the  longest  continuous  street  in  the 
world,  came  a  corresponding  development  in  its  commercial 
importance.  Beautiful  store  buildings  sprang  up  almost 
in  a  night.  Old  residences  were  moved  back  in  the  lot 
to  make  room  for  business  fronts  and  every  available  foot 
of  ground  between  55th  Street  and  69th  Street  was  soon 
occupied  by  prosperous  business  concerns.  The  past  ten 
years  has  witnessed  probably  the  most  wonderful  growth 
of  any  business  district  in  the  great  city  of  Chicago.  All 
lines  of  business  are  represented  and  millions  of  dollars 
of  merchandise  are  tastily  displayed  on  the  shelves  of  the 
most  enterprising  lot  of  merchants  that  ever  did  business 
in  any  locality.  Gradually  the  business  district  of  Halsted 
Street  has  extended  south  until  it  joins  that  of  Auburn 
Park,  which  centers  at  79th  Street  and  was  referred  to  in 
our  earlier  pages  as  the  site  of  the  "Ten  Mile  House." 

The  coming  of  the  great  World  War,  taking  so  many 
of  our  younger  men  out  of  the  fields  of  industry,  and  the 
changing  of  so  many  more  from  the  manufacture  of  peace- 
ful necessities  to  those  made  necessary  by  the  war,  caused 
a  serious  hindrance  to  building  and  development  of  our 
rapidly  growing  community.  However,  with  the  coming 
of  peace  and  the  gradual  return  to  normalcy,  Englewood 
in  all  of  its  sections  is  progressing  with  its  usual  energy 
and   activity. 

Just  now  improved  transportation  facilities  are  under 
discussion  and  mean  much  for  our  future  growth.  The 
extension  of  the  elevated  road,  both  south  and  west,  and 
the  building  of  subways  across  the  city  will  greatly  facili- 
tate travel  to  all  other  parts  of  the  city  and  add  greatly 
to  our  population   and  consequent  commercial   activities. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   SOCIAL   LIFE   OF    ENGLEWOOD 

WHILE  life  was  strenuous  in  those  early  days  there 
was  always  an  element  of  sociability  and  neigh- 
borliness  among  the  people.  Before  the  churches  were 
organized,  little  social  affairs  were  held  in  the  private 
homes  and  later  the  new  brick  schoolhouse  became  the 
rendezvous  of  all  sociability  and  "society"  as  it  was 
known  then.  The  anniversary  of  Washington  and  the 
4th  of  July  were  always  celebrated  with  great  eclat  by 
the  entire  community.  The  outdoor  celebrations  mostly 
took  place  in  Junction  Grove  at  63rd  and  State  streets 
or  in  Reek's  Park  at  the  Normal  School. 

We  have  in  hand  a  ticket  to  a  social  party  given  at 
the  Junction  Grove  School  House  on  Friday,  March 
27,  1868.  The  committee  was  composed  of  Carl  Dunn. 
L.  W.  Crocker  and  PI  M.  Jarrett.  Special  trains  were 
often  run  from  the  city  out  to  Englewood  on  the  oc- 
casions. 

The  Englewood  Terpsichorean  Club  was  the  prime 
entertainer  in  the  early  '70s.  Another  was  the  Senior 
Club  which  gave  a  course  of  dancing  and  entertainment. 
The  Englewood  volunteer  fire  department  also  enter- 
tained at  stated  intervals  and  even  gave  masquerade 
balls  which  wrere  occasions  of  great  social  importance  in 
our  little  town.  Later,  the  parties  were  held  in  the  high 
school  hall.  H.  W.  K.  Cutter  was  president  of  the 
Englewood  Terpsichorean  at  this  time  and  E.  Pierpont 
was  secretary.  Later,  H.  B.  Lewis  and  O.  D.  Bassett 
assumed  these  offices. 

All  of  the  churches  held  "sociables"  and  provided 
entertainment  and  amusement  for  their  members.  The 
general  price  of  admission  was  ten  cents,  but  ten  cents 
was  some  money  then,  as  it  would  buy  a  dozen  of  fresh 
country  eggs  at  Barney  Brothers ;  while  twenty  cents 
paid  for  a  pound  of  the  choicest  green  grass  butter. 
Strawberry  festivals  in  the  summer  and  oyster  suppers 
in   the  winter  were  real  events  in  the  social   life  of  the 

39 


40 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


2   1   O 


SOCIAL  LIFE  IN  ENGLEWOOD  41 

town.  We  read  of  the  "tin  wedding"  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L. 
W.  Crocker  being'  celebrated  in  their  home  at  805  62nd 
Street  in  May,  1878.  A  star  event  was  the  silver  wed- 
ding of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Gerber,  on  February  24, 
1871.  Mrs.  Gerber  was  formerly  Miss  Barbara  Berg, 
whose  family  was  among  the  first  residents  of  Chicago. 
Sleighing  parties  on  the  ice  of  the  sloughs  were  oc- 
casions of  merriment  and  innocent  enjoyment  to  the 
people.  Picnics  in  the  different  groves  that  surrounded 
the  little  town  were  of  weekly  occurence  in  the  summer 
time,  and  the  same  catastrophe  followed  the  young 
gallants,  who  in  their  white  duck  trousers  sat  down  in 
the  succulent  custard  pies. 

Stories  of  rivalries  are  still  told  among  the  older 
people,  that  while  amusing  now,  were  quite  serious 
matters  to  the  principals  in  those  days.  One  comes  to 
us  of  where  rival  clubs  claimed  a  right  to  the  same  hall 
for  a  dance,  and  while  the  dispute  almost  amounting  to 
fisticuffs  was  in  progress,  a  mischievous  fireman,  in 
whose  place  the  musicians  had  deposited  their  instru- 
ments, removed  all  the  fiddle  strings  and  took  the  late 
"dummy"  train  for  the  city,  leaving  a  discordant  mouth 
organ  and  a  jews  harp  as  the  sole  orchestra  for  the 
evening. 

A  practical  joke  played  upon  one  young  beau,  who 
having  the  advantage  of  considerable  wealth,  was  able 
to  dress  better  than  the  generality  of  hard  working 
young  Englewooders,  wras  to  remove  the  end  of  the 
single  plank  reaching  across  the  water  filled  ditch  in 
front  of  his  sweetheart's  home,  so  that  in  attempting 
to  cross,  he  was  precipitated  into  four  feet  of  muddy 
water,  while  the  girl's  younger  brothers  sicked  the 
housedog  on  him  and  chased  him  back  to  his  rooms  in 
the  Tillotson  Hotel  on  61st  Street,  but  persistence  won, 
and  the  grandchildren  of  this  couple  now  relate  the 
story. 

The  post-office  in  those  days  was  in  the  Tillotson 
Block  on  61st  Street.  Among  the  great  advantages 
held  out  to  settlers  to  come  to  Englewood  was  that 
there  were  three  mails  received  daily,  but  the  prime 
attraction,  and  the  one  that  advertised  the  town  advan- 


42 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


tageously,  was  the  Cook  County  Normal  School  which 
was  of  excellent  merit  from  the  time  of  its  establish- 
ment. Husky  country  boys  and  girls  from  all  over 
Cook  County  came  to  Englewood  to  attend  the  Normal 
and  many  happy  marriages  resulted  from  their  meeting 
as  students  in  the  old  brick  building  at  68th  Street  and 
Stewart  Avenue.  In  the  early  days  the  young  men  of 
Englewood  played  baseball  on  the  prairie  between  61st 
and  62nd  streets,  Wentworth  Avenue  and  the  Rock 
Island  track,  and  though  the  common  scores  reached 
from  twenty  to  fifty  runs  for  each  side,  there  was  some 
good  playing  at  that.  In  the  winter  the  lower  part  of 
this  prairie  was  Hooded  and  when  frozen,  formed  a 
splendid   skating  rink. 


^> 


*?£&*%£■ 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  OLDER  MERCHANTS  OF  ENGLEWOOU 

WHILE  it  has  been  almost  impossible  to  secure  an 
exact  list  of  all  the  pioneer  business  men  of  Engle- 
w'ood,  we  have  secured  a  nearly  perfect  one  with  the 
dates  in  which  they  began  business  here,  thanks  to  our 
good  friend,  J.  W.  Barney.  On  State  Street  in  the  early 
'50s  were  several  taverns  which  provided  entertainment 
for  people  passing  over  the  route  of  the  stage  line  and 
for  those  in  the  neighborhood  who  desired  entertain- 
ment in  liquid  form.  Then  there  was  the  general  store 
of  Patrick  Fagan  and  Ring's  Hotel  and  a  few  small 
stores.  It  was  not  until  the  latter  part  of  the  '60s  and 
the  earlier  part  of  the  70s  that  the  settlement  developed 
stores  and  merchandising  centers.  The  list  of  the  prin- 
ciple ones  up  to   1890  follows: 

Old  Merchants 

Date  of  GROCERY    AND    MARKET 

Arrival 
1869     Geo.  N.  Chase,  N.  W.  Cor.  Wentworth  Ave.  and  63rd   St. 

1871  Phillip  Drake,  near   Wentworth  Ave.  and  62nd  St. 

1872  Barney  Bros.,  near  Wentworth  Ave.  and  62nd  St. 

1873  Ephlin  Bros.,  near  Wentworth  Ave.   and  62nd  St. 
1872     Isaac  Drake,  near  Wentworth   Ave.  and  62nd   St. 

1875     James  McEldowney,  N.  W.  Cor.  Normal  Ave.  and  61st  St. 
1875     Robt.  McEldowney,  N.  W.  Cor.  Normal   Ave.  and  61st   St. 

GROCERS 

1875  Sigler  &  Gott,  61st  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave.  and  61st   St. 

1876  Lewis  &  McClintock,  61st  St.,  near  Wentworth  and  61st. 

1878  Lounsberry  Bros.,  61st   St.,  near  Wentworth  and  61st  St. 

1879  Gillett  and  Co.,  61st  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave.  and  61st  St. 
1883     Clans  Bros.,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 

Ransom  &  Co.,  N.  W.  Cor.  Wentworth  Ave.  and  63rd   St. 
Miller  Co.,  N.  W.  Cor.  Wentworth  Ave.  and  63rd  St. 
I.   M.  Warner  &  Co.,  N.  W.   Cor.  Wentworth  and   63rd. 

1880  John  Bredin,  63rd  St.,  near  Normal  Blvd. 
Musk  &  Co.,  63rd  St.,  near  Normal  Blvd. 

A.  P.  Hoffman,  Cor.  Wentworth  Ave.  and  63rd  St. 

MEAT    MARKET 

1875     L.   P.  Maynard,  63rd   St.   and  Wentworth   Ave. 

TIN    SHOP 

1871     Pickett's  Tin  Shop,  State  St.,  near  63rd   St. 

1874  J.  L.   Swan,  63rd   St.,   near  Wentworth  Ave. 

43 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


HARDWARE 

1873  Darling  &  Cook,  63rd  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 
1878  T.  F.  Tramel,  63rd  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 
1882  Frank  Porter,  63rd   St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 
1888  Daniel  Wink,  Corner  63rd   St.  and  Normal  Ave. 
1890  Hoselton  &  McKay,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 

FURNITURE 

1885     Barney  Bros.,  Cor.  Wentworth  Ave.  and  62nd  St. 
1882     Herman  Lncht,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 

DRUGGIST 

1871  Kirk,  63rd  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 

1878     N.  Pierpont,  Cor.  62nd  St.  and  Wentworth  Ave. 
1880     T.  E.  DeWolf,  61st   St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 
1878     Hogan  &  Hisgen,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  62nd  St. 

FLOUR    AND    FEED 

1874  Josiah  Lanyon,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 
Beckwith   &  Terriere,   W'entworth  Ave.,  near  63rd   St. 

UNDERTAKKK 

1874    J.  B.  Lanyon,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 
J.  J.  Horning,  W'entworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 

1872  Charles  Underwood,  63rd  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 

HARNESS    STORE 

1874  C.  H.  Lanyon,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd  St. 

DRY   GOODS 

1871  T.  C.  Tibbetts,  Wentworth  Ave.  and  62nd  St. 

187-1  Solomon   SchifT,  Wentworth  Ave.,  near  63rd   St. 

1875  D.  H.  Hanford,  Wentworth  Ave.  and  62nd  St. 
1878  H.  W.  Thompson,  61st  St.,  near  Wentworth  Ave. 

Some  of  these  merchants  are  still  with  us  and  doing" 
business  on  63rd  Street.  J.  W.  Barney,  the  surviving 
partner  of  Barney  Bros.,  is  now  engaged  (1923)  in  the 
real  estate  business,  although  his  good  brother,  Fletcher 
M.,  passed  to  his  reward  a  decade  ago.  John  B.  Lan- 
yon, the  undertaker,  is  with  his  son,  Lester  B.  Lanyon, 
in  the  same  business.  Charles  H.  Lanyon  is  still  selling 
harness  on  Wentworth  Avenue,  when  such  a  curiosity 
as  a  horse  can  be  procured.  The  younger  brother,  Fred, 
is  still  doing  decorating  with  as  much  skill  as  when 
manager  of  the  well  known  Lanyon  Opera  House. 

Frank  F.  Porter,  when  he  has  time  to  spare  from 
his  genealogical  tree  of  the  Porter  family,  still  sells 
hardware  on  63rd  Street.  Mayo  and  Weed,  the  veteran 
photographers,  are  both  in  business ;  Charles  Mayo  on 
63rd  Street  and  Jarvis  Weed  on  69th  Street.  Frank  P. 
Barkey  sells  shoes  with  the  same  smiling  countenance 
he  did  in  yesteryear.  John  Bredin,  the  veteran  grocery- 
man,   is  in   California   enjoying  the  fruits   of  a  very  in- 


OLDER  MERCHANTS  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


45 


dustrious  business  career.  Solomon  Schiff,  although 
out  of  business  for  himself,  is  well  represented  by  his 
son,  Charles,  who  has  a  large  dry  goods  store  on  63rd 
Street.  Tom  Conway,  the  plumber,  has  retired  in  favor 
of  his  younger  brother,  Bernard,  but  is  still  with  us. 
Louis  C.  Hogan,  the  distinguished  druggist  and  chemist, 
has  retired  from  business,  but   still  acts  as  a  COnsulting- 


Par  ft  C 


Housi 


expert  for  other  pharmacists.  (Note — Louis  C.  Hogan 
died  at  the  King  Llome  for  old  gentlemen  in  May,  1923.) 
J.  J.  Horning  is  in  the  undertaking  business  on  Went- 
worth  Avenue.  Joseph  Clans,  although  retired  from  the 
grocery  business  many  years  ago,  is  still  active  on  the 
Englewood  Times  staff. 

Christian  C.  H.  Becker,  6701  Union  Avenue,  and 
Fred  W.  Roepstorff  of  F.  W.  Roepstorff  &  Sons,  6128 
South  Halsted  Street,  opened  a  dry  goods  store  at  6236 
South  Halsted  Street  in  April,  1890,  paying  a  rental  of 
$35  a  month.  The  lease  was  negotiated  by  the  firm  of 
Cohrs  &  Rathje,  63rd  and  Wallace  streets.  Louis 
Rathje,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  later  became  the 
brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Roepstorff  and  president  of  the 
Chicago  City  Bank. 

Sixty-third    Place   was    the    southern    terminal    of    the 


46 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


horse  car  line  of  Halsted  Street.  The  southwest  corner 
of  Sixty-third  and  Halsted  streets  was  entirely  vacant. 
A  few  small  cottages,  a  saloon,  a  drug  store  and  a  gro- 
cery store  occupied  most  of  the  ground  surrounding  the. 
corner  which  is  now  the  business  center  of  the  South 
Side.  Farmers  enroute  to  the  Stock  Yards  with  loads 
of  hay  or  livestock  frequented  the  inn  kept  by  Henry 
Bensemann  near  the  southwest  corner  of  62nd  and  Hal- 
sted streets.  In  fact,  a  very  brisk  farmer  trade  soon 
brought  prosperity  to  all  the  merchants  in  the  block  and 
in  1902  the  firm  of  Becker  &  RoepstorrT  moved  into  the 
newly  erected  buildings  of  Henry  Bensemann  and  Con- 
rad tatge,  fronting  125  feet  at  6220  to  6230  South  Hal- 
sted Street.  Mr.  Paul  Lorenz,  now  of  Musser-Lorenz 
Company;  Mr.  G.  K.  Anderson,  now  of  G.  K.  Anderson 
&  Co.,  69th  and  Halsted  streets,  and  Messrs.  Anderson 
and  Jensen,  now  at  5902  South  Halsted  Street,  all  served 
their  apprenticeships  in  this  store. 


CHAPTER  VII 

JUSTICE  OF  THE  PEACE  AND  POLICE 
MAGISTRATES 

S.  D.  Underwood  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  in 
April,  1881,  and  served  until  1889.  Justice  Under- 
wood held  court  at  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue, 
and  also  presided  at  the  police  court  which  was  held  in 
the  building  occupied  by  a  hose  company,  located  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue, 
where  all  the  police  cases  were  tried  until  the  Englewood 
police  station  was  erected. 

George  W.  Hotaling  was  elected  in  April,  1881,  and 
served  until  June,  1895.  Justice  Hotaling  maintained  an 
Englewood  office  at  6311  Wentworth  Avenue,  where  he 
held  court  in  the  evening  and  during  the  day  he  held  court 
at  3900  State  Street. 

Peter  Caldwell  was  elected  police  magistrate  in  April, 
1888,  and  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  in  July,  1891, 
and  served  until  June,  1895.  Justice  Caldwell  held  court 
on  63rd  Street,  east  of  Wentworth  Avenue,  until  May, 
1894,  when  he  moved  his  office  to  6301  S.  Halsted  Street. 

He  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  to  establish  an 
office  at  63rd  and  Halsted  streets.  Justice  Caldwell  also 
presided  as  police  magistrate  at  the  Englewood  police  court 
during  most  of  this  period. 

Gustavus  J.  Tatje  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace 
June  17,  1891,  and  resigned  in  August,  1893.  Justice 
Tatje  held  court  at  63rd  and  Wallace  streets,  and  also  at 
39th  and  State  streets. 

James  J.  O'Toole  was  appointed  to  succeed  Justice 
Tatje  August  17,  1893,  and  served  until  July  6,  1897,  when 
he  resigned. 

Municipal  Court 

The  municipal  court  was  established  on  the  third  day 
of  December,  1906.  The  city  of  Chicago  was,  under  the 
law  creating  this  court,  divided  into  five  districts,  in  each 
of  which  was  located  a  civil  and  a  criminal  branch.     Engle- 

47 


48  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

wood  was  a  part  of  the  third  district  as  originally  fixed  by 
the  municipal  court  act.  A  civil  branch  of  the  court  was 
established  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and 
Princeton  Avenue  and  the  criminal  cases  were  heard  in  the 
court  room  of  the  Englewood  police  station,  just  as  they 
are  at  the  present  time.  The  division  into  so  many  districts 
proved  to  be  impractical,  and  on  June  10,  1907,  the  judges 
of  the  court  entered  an  order  abolishing  the  third,  fourth 
and  fifth  districts  and  rearranging  the  boundary  lines  of  the 
first  and  second  districts,  which  order  was  approved  by  the 
City  Council  on  June  17,  1907,  and  became  effective  July 
15,   1907.      Englewood  is  now  located  in  the  first  district. 

The  following  residents  of  Englewood  have  been  elected 
as  associate  judges  of  the  municipal  court  from  the  time 
of  its  organization  until  the  present :  McKenzie  Cleland, 
6439  Normal  Boulevard,  elected  November,  1906;  Michael 
F.  Girten,  5827  Princeton  Avenue,  elected  November, 
1906;  Frank  P.  Sadler,  553  Englewood  Avenue,  elected 
November,  1906;  Hugh  R.  Stewart,  455  W.  60th  Street, 
elected  November,  1906,  and  elected  for  a  second  time 
November,  1914;  Asa  G.  Adams,  6501  Harvard  Avenue, 
elected  November,  1920;  Theodore  F.  Ehler,  7759  Sanga- 
mon Street,  elected  November,  1920. 

Edwin  J.  Rhoades  was  appointed  June  24,  1895,  and 
served  until  May,  1899.  Justice  Rhoades  maintaned  an 
office  at  the  southeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Stewart 
Avenue,  and  later  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd  and 
Halsted  streets. 

Henry  G.  Schulte  was  appointed  June  24,  1895,  and 
served  until  May,  1899.  He  held  court  at  6301  S.  Halsted 
Street,  and  also  served  as  police  magistrate  at  the  Engle- 
wood police  court  for  about  three  years  of  this  period. 

Asa  G.  Adams  was  appointed  in  June,  1899,  and 
served  until  the  municipal  court  was  established  on  Decem- 
ber 3,  1906.  Justice  Adams  held  court  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  63rd  and  Halsted  streets,  also  at  39th  and  State 
streets. 

Henry  D.  Smalley  was  appointed  June,  1904.  He  held 
court  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Went- 
worth  Avenue. 

Willard  N.  Smith  appears  to  have  been  the  first  justice 


COURTS  AND  POLICE  DEPARTMENT  49 

of  the  peace  to  establish  an  office  at  Englewood.  He  was 
elected  April,  1873,  and  reelected  in  April,  1877,  and  again 
elected  April,  1881.  From  the  records  in  the  county 
clerk's  office  it  appears  that  Justice  Smith  resigned  January 
15,  1883.  Justice  Smith  held  court  in  the  Tillotson  Block. 
61st  Street  and  Went  worth  Avenue. 

Superior  Court 

Harry  A.  Lewis,  6629  Harvard  Avenue,  was  elected 
judge  of  the  superior  court  in  April,  1919,  for  a  term  of 
six  years. 

The  Police  Force 

As  a  proof  that  the  Town  of  Lake,  including  Engle- 
wood, was  a  law-abiding  and  peaceful  district,  there  was 
no  police  force  here  up  to  1868  other  than  the  constables, 
who,  in  addition  to  their  civic  duties,  were  invested  with 
police  power.  In  1868  a  force  of  four  regular  policemen 
was  organized  with  a  town  supervisor  ex  officio  at  its  head 
as  chief.  The  name  of  these  first  policemen  were  John 
Kelly,  Patrick  Delaney,  Thomas  Gahan  and  John  Collins 
Later,  in  1873,  the  force  was  increased  to  eight  men,  with 
Thomas  Gahan  as  sergeant.  Lie  served  in  this  capacity 
until  May  1,  1880,  when  he  was  made  captain,  and  John 
W.  Sweeney,  sergeant.  At  this  time  the  force  numbered 
twenty-six  men.  In  1881  the  officers  were  Thomas  Gahan, 
captain ;  John  W.  Sweeney,  sergeant,  and  Daniel  Musser, 
roundsman.  A  few  years  later  Daniel  Musser  was 
appointed  sergeant  at  Englewood. 

The  Englewood  police  station,  established  in  1879,  was 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth 
Avenue.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  while  this  book  was 
being  compiled  in  1922,  after  serving  in  various  capacities 
for  fifty  years.  J.  W.  Joslin  was  the  roundsman  at  the 
Englewood  station. 

While  at  times  there  was  considerable  need  of  a  police 
force  in  the  Stock  Yards  district,  Englewood  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  its  way  with  very  little  necessity  for  their 
appearance  other  than  to  ornament  the  landscape  and  see 
that  the  cows  were  not  disturbed  in  their  peaceful  pastures. 


50 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


73  2 
o  o 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  CHICAGO  NORMAL  SCHOOL 
By  J.  E.  Armstrong' 

THE  Chicago  Normal  School  is  the  result  of  the  com- 
bination of  two  movements,  one  originating  in  Chi- 
cago about  sixty-live  years  ago,  and  the  other  getting  its 
start  a  little  later  in  that  portion  of  Cook  County  outside 
of   Chicago. 

The  first  high  school  in  Chicago  was  established  in 
1855.  (  )ne  of  the  chief  arguments  advanced  during  the 
preceding  decade  in  favor  of  this  movement  was  that  it 
would  furnish  "a  school  in  which  teachers  may  and  will  be 
trained  to  supply  future  wants."  Consequently  in  the 
ordinance  of  the  common  council  of  the  city  of  Chicago 
for  January  23,  1855,  establishing  the  high  school,  we  find 
this  statement:  "There  shall  he  a  department  in  the  high 
school  expressly  for  the  qualifying  of  young  ladies  to 
teach,  which  shall  he  styled  the  normal  or  teachers'  depart- 
ment. Graduates  of  this  department  shall  have  the  pref- 
erence, other  things  being  equal,  in  the  appointment  of 
teachers  for  the  primary  and  grammar  schools." 

In  the  second  annual  report  of  Superintendent  Dore  for 
that  same  year  there  was  this  statement:  "Experience  in 
other  places  has  proved  that  a  model  school  is  a  necessary 
appendage  to  a  Normal  School  in  order  to  give  students 
of  theoretical  teaching  an  opportunity  to  practice.  I 
therefore  suggest  for  the  consideration  of  the  Board  the 
expediency  of  organizing  a  model  school  in  connection 
with  the  Normal  department." 

Mr.  Ira  C.  Moore,  a  graduate  of  the  Bridgewater 
(  Mass.)  Normal  School,  was  appointed  head  of  the  Normal 
department,  which  began  its  work  on  October  8,  1856,  and 
provided  a  two  year  course ;  he  was  followed  the  next 
year  by  Mr.  Edward  C.  Delano,  another  graduate  of  the 
same  Normal  School,  who  remained  principal  of  the  Nor- 
mal school  until  its  close  in  1877.  The  much  desired 
practice  school  did  not  become  a  reality  until  1865,  when 
it    began    its    career    in    the    Scammon    School,    under    the 

51  HB**Rr 

rv  — 


^Ofc/TYo, 


52  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

direction  of  Mrs.  Ella  F.  Young.  From  this  time  forward 
the  work  of  the  Normal  School,  which  had  been  largely 
academic,  now  took  on  a  more  strictly  professional  char- 
acter, eventually  becoming  entirely  so.  Although  at  first 
the  students  were  permitted  to  enter  the  Normal  School 
upon  examination  directly  from  the  grammar  schools,  after 
1872  all  candidates  were  required  to  pass  an  examination, 
"not  only  in  the  common  branches,  but  also  in  the  studies 
pursued  in  the  first  year  of  the  high  school,"  this  being  the 
highest  requirements,  so  far  as  known,  of  any  state  or 
county  normal  in  the  country  at  that  time. 

This  school  remained  a  branch  of  the  high  school  until 
1871,  when  it  became  an  independent  school  and  so  re- 
mained until  1876,  when  for  a  short  time  it  again  became 
a  department  of  the  high  school. 

In  1875  a  high  school,  with  a  two  year  course,  was 
erected  in  each  division  of  the  city,  namely,  south,  west 
and  north,  and  at  the  same  time  the  Normal  School  was 
thrown  open  to  all  high  school  graduates.  As  a  result, 
the  large  number  of  graduates  caused  a  waiting  list  of 
teachers.  The  Board,  therefore,  voted  to  suspend  "tem- 
porarily" the  work  of  both  the  original  Normal  School,  now 
under  Mr.  Delano,  and  the  practice  school,  under  Mrs. 
Young,  almost  exactly  twenty-one  years  after  its  inaugura- 
tion of  the  former,  and  it  was  not  resumed  for  fifteen 
years. 

During  the  interim,  the  lack  of  a  city  school  for  the 
training  of  teachers  was  keenly  felt  and  the  Board  was 
urged  again  and  again  to  reopen  the  Normal  School,  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  do  so  being  made  in  1882.  Partial 
relief  was  afforded  in  the  meantime,  however,  by  the  intro- 
duction of  the  cadet  system,  which  was  begun  in  1882, 
during  the  administration  of  Mr.  George  Rowland. 
According  to  this  plan,  high  school  graduates,  upon  passing 
the  teacher's  examination,  were  admitted  to  the  schools  as 
cadets,  and  when  they  were  proficient  in  discipline  and 
could  teach  classes,  they  were  assigned  to  rooms  of  their 
•own. 

In  1891  Mr.  A.  G.  Lane,  who  for  many  years  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Cook  County  Board  of  Education,  which 
had   charge   of   the   Cook   County   Normal    School,   became 


THE  CHICAGO  NORMAL  SCHOOL  53 

superintendent  of  Chicago  schools.  He  long  had  been  an 
ardent  advocate  of  normal  training  for  teachers,  and  the 
Board  of  Education  finally  endorsed  his  position  on  this 
question  and  the  establishment  of  the  training  class  for 
cadets  at  the  Thomas  Hoyne  School  during  October,  1892, 
in  charge  of  Miss  Theresa  McGuire  and  Mrs.  Agnes  M. 
Hardinge,  was  practically  a  reopening  of  the  City  Normal 
School,  which  had  been  closed  in  1877.  Only  graduates 
of  the  four  year  high  school  course  were  admitted  to  this 
school,  after  passing  the  required  examination.  The 
course  was  at  first  only  six  months  in  length,  but  it  was 
increased  during  1895-1896  to  one  year  of  combined  pro- 
fessional study  and  practice  teaching  in  the  city  schools. 

Before  this  history  is  carried  further  it  will  be  advis- 
able to  give  a  brief  account  of  the  old  Cook  County  Normal 
School  from  its  inception  to  the  close  of  its  work  as  a 
county  Normal  School  in  1896. 

The  year  1859,  in  which  Mr.  John  F.  Eberhart  was 
elected  school  commissioner  of  Cook  County,  furnishes 
a  good  starting  point.  Impressed  with  the  great  need  of 
improving  the  quality  of  county  teachers,  he  began  by 
asking  from  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  the  sum  of 
$50.00  to  aid  in  conducting  a  teachers'  institute,  which  was 
held  at  Harlem  (now  Oak  Park)  April  11,  1860,  with  an 
attendance  of  seventy-five  teachers.  Other  institutes  fol- 
lowed at  regular  intervals  and  a  little  later  Mr.  Eberhart 
asked  the  Board  for  $600.00  to  help  defray  the  expenses 
of  a  teachers'  institute,  to  extend  over  a  period  of  three 
months. 

About  this  time  the  Board  appointed  a  Committee  on 
Education,  with  Mr.  E.  J.  Whitehead  as  chairman.  This 
committee  finally  agreed  to  ask  the  Board  for  an  appropria- 
tion of  $2,500  per  annum  for  two  years  for  an  experi- 
mental normal  school,  which  was  finally  granted. 

Intense  competition  sprang  up  at  once  among  the 
various  towns  for  the  location  of  the  school,  but  it  was 
secured  by  Blue  Island  and  the  school  opened  September  2, 
1867. 

Mr.  D.  S.  Wentworth,  principal  of  the  Scammon  School 
in  Chicago,  who,  like  Mr.  Ira  Moore  and  Mr.  Delano, 
already   mentioned   in   connection    with   a    similar   position, 


54  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

was  a  graduate  of  the  Bridgewater  Normal  School,  became 
the  first  principal  of  the  new  school. 

During  its  temporary  establishment  of  two  years  at 
Blue  Island,  competition  arose  afresh  for  the  permanent 
location  of  the  Cook  County  Normal  School.  It  was  won 
by  the  organized  township  of  Lake,  which  offered,  in  addi- 
tion to  $25,000  in  cash,  a  tract  of  twenty  acres  at  68th 
Street  and  Stewart  Avenue,  ten  acres  of  which  were  given 
by  Dr.  Beck.  This  site  was  in  those  days  a  part  of  Dis- 
trict No.  2,  which  contained  not  only  a  part  of  Hyde  Park 
east  of  State  Street,  but  a  large  share  of  the  organized 
township  of  Lake  and  it  was  given  with  the  understanding 
that  it  should  never  be  used  for  any  other  than  normal 
school  purposes. 

Thus  far  there  had  never  been  a  law  in  Illinois  specific- 
ally providing  for  the  establishment  of  county  normal 
schools.  The  legislature  of  1869,  largely  owing  to  the 
influence  of  Mr.  Eberhart,  passed  a  law  providing  for 
such  normal  schools  in  any  county  signifying,  in  a  manner 
provided  by  law,  its  desire  for  such  an  institution.  The 
closing  section  of  the  law  legalized  the  action  of  boards  of 
supervisors  that  had  already  started  normal  schools  and 
gave  to  their  managing  boards  all  the  powers  conferred 
by  the  previous  sections  of  the  act. 

In  1869  the  Normal  School  was  moved  from  Blue 
Island  to  Englewood  and  was  temporarily  located  in  the 
old  brick  school  building,  later  occupied  by  the  Champlin 
School,  until  the  new  Normal  School  building  could  be 
erected,  the  contract  for  which  was  let  June  17,  1869.  It 
was  dedicated  September  21,  1870,  and  a  few  years  later 
the  plant  was  increased  by  the  erection  of  the  students' 
hall,  a  boarding  and  rooming  house  for  students  of  the 
school.  A  part  of  the  equipment  of  the  Normal  School 
at  first  was  a  high  school  inaugurated  for  the  purpose  of 
preparing  backward  students  for  the  regular  college  courses. 
This  high  school,  however,  was  removed  in  1874  to  the 
second  story  of  the  Lewis  building  as  the  Englewood  High 
School. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  when  the  Cook  County 
Normal  School  was  erected  Chicago  extended  only  to  39th 
Street,  and  for  nineteen  years  no  extension  southward  was 


THE  CHICAGO  NORMAL  SCHOOL  55 

made ;  the  entire  organized  township  of  Lake  contained 
only  1 ,000  inhabitants  ;  the  prominent  Chicago  dailies  had 
only  disparaging  comments  to  make  concerning  the  new 
school,  referring  derisively  to  its  location  as  a  "frog-pond" 
and  the  school  catalogue  of  1880  states  that  the  Cook 
County  Normal  School  is  located  "at  Normalville,  just 
seven  miles  south  of  the  Chicago  court  house." 

Pursuant  to  the  state  law,  the  Cook  County  Normal 
School  was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  Cook  County 
Board  of  Education,  consisting  of  eight  members,  two  of 
whom  were  the  chairmen  of  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors and  the  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  the 
other  members  being  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors of  the  county. 

Mr.  Wentworth  continued  as  principal  of  the  Normal 
School  until  1883,  with  the  exception  of  one  year,  when,  on 
account  of  a  factional  struggle  in  the  County  Board,  Mr. 
Larrimore  served  as  principal.  Mr.  Wentworth  was  fol- 
lowed by  Colonel  Francis  W.  Parker,  who  served  as 
principal  of  the  Cook  County  Normal  School  under  the 
Cook  County  Board  of  Education  until  1896. 

Up  to  that  time  there  had  been  no  connection  between 
the  Cook  County  Normal  School  and  the  Chicago  public 
schools,  except  through  the  fact  that  shortly  before  this 
time  the  entire  organized  township  of  Lake,  which  extended 
far  to  the  south  of  the  Normal  School,  had  been  annexed 
to  Chicago  and  pupils  living  in  the  "subdistrict"  lying 
between  65th  Street  and  75th  Street,  and  the  Rock  Island 
and  the  Eastern  Illinois  Railroads,  were  permitted,  by  trans- 
fer issued  by  Superintendent  Rowland,  to  attend  the 
Normal  Practice  School,  their  tuition  being  paid  by  the 
city. 

In  the  report  of  the  County  Board  of  Education  for 
1890,  however,  it  is  stated:  "The  testimony  of  the  larger 
proportion  of  city  principals  reveals  a  widespread  dissat- 
isfaction with  the  cadet  system  now  in  vogue  in  their 
schools.  The  object  of  the  Chicago  schools  and  the  Cook 
County  Normal  School  is  identical,  and  they  should  go 
hand  in  hand  along  a  given  line.  That  a  complete  recog- 
nition in  the  city  schools  of  the  Normal  School  certificate 
of   graduation   may   be   brought   about,   an    additional   com- 


56  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

mittee  on  relations  to  the  city  schools  has  been  placed  on 
your  list  of  standing  committees.  An  early  conference 
between  your  board  and  the  city  board  is  deemed 
advisable." 

The  recommended  conference  must  have  borne  fruit, 
for  in  January,  1896,  the  Board  of  Education  voted  to 
accept  the  Cook  County  Normal  School  property  and  to 
maintain  the  Normal  School  for  the  benefit  of  Chicago  and 
Cook  County  with  no  change  in  its  management.  The 
Board  assumed  possession  on  February  1,  1896,  and 
Colonel  Parker  was  continued  as  principal,  serving  in  that 
capacity  until  his  resignation  in  1899.  The  training  class 
of  cadets  was  merged  into  the  Chicago  Normal  School  and 
the  Board  fixed  standards  of  admission  for  residents  of  the 
city.  Graduates  of  county  high  schools  were,  upon  rec- 
ommendation of  the  county  superintendent,  to  be  admitted, 
and,  upon  graduation,  were  eligible  to  teach  in  the  county 
schools. 

The  first  addition  to  the  plant  of  the  newly  acquired 
Chicago  Normal  School  was  the  middle  section  of  the 
Parker  Practice  School,  which  was  completed  in  1899 ; 
both  wings  were  added  in  1902.  By  1905  the  central 
building  of  the  group  of  three  now  on  the  campus,  known 
familiarly  as  the  Normal  College  building,  had  been  erected 
and  was  ready  for  occupancy,  and  in  1913  the  arts  and 
gymnasium  building  was  used  for  classes  for  the  first 
time. 

In  the  meantime  there  had  been  three  changes  in  the 
office  of  principal.  Dr.  Arnold  Tompkins  succeeded  Colonel 
Parker  in  the  management  of  the  school  in  1900,  and 
retained  his  position  until  his  death  in  1905.  During  that 
same  year  Mrs.  Ella  F.  Young  was  chosen  as  his  successor, 
but  the  position  was  again  vacant  in  1909,  when  Mrs. 
Young  became  superintendent  of  Chicago  schools.  During 
the  period  of  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the  resignation 
of  Mrs.  Young,  the  principalship  of  the  Chicago  Normal 
School  has  been  held  by  Dr.  William  B.  Owen. 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  Principal  Owen  is  in 
charge  of  the  Normal  School  district,  which  constitutes 
one  of  the  eleven  districts  into  which  the  entire  area  cov- 
ered   by    the    Chicago    schools    is    divided.      This    district 


THE  CHICAGO  NORMAL  SCHOOL  57 

includes  the  Chicago  Normal  College,  the  Parker  Practice 
School,  the  Parker  High  School,  the  Parker  Junior  High 
School,  and  the  Carter  Practice  School.  The  Parker  High 
School  was  established  in  1910  by  Principal  Owen  and 
now  occupies  rooms  distributed  among  all  three  buildings 
of  the  campus,  and  the  Parker  Junior  High  School  was 
started  in  1919  by  Principal  Walter  R.  Hatfield  of  the 
Parker  Practice  School,  and  is  located  in  the  Parker  Prac- 
tice School.  The  total  enrollment  of  the  schools  housed 
in  three  campus  buildings   exceeds  3,000. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  the  different  practice 
schools  that  have  been  and  that  are  a  part  of  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Normal  School.  First  in  time  is  the  Parker 
Practice,  already  mentioned  as  being  completed  in  1902. 
During  the  period  1901-1907  the  Yale  School  served  as  a 
practice  school,  and  the  Haines  School  was  chosen  to  take 
its  place  in  1908,  continuing  to  fulfill  that  function  until 
1921.  In  1908,  also,  the  Carter  School  was  added  to 
increase  the  facilities  for  practice  teaching  of  the  Normal 
School,  which  for  many  years  had  been  restricted  to  the 
schools  just  named. 

In  1920,  however,  a  radical  change  was  made  in  the 
student  practice.  In  that  year,  for  the  first  time,  the  prac- 
tice term  of  the  students  was  reduced  to  ten  weeks,  but 
this  reduction  in  time  is  compensated  by  devoting  the  whole 
of  each  day  to  practice  work.  In  order  to  facilitate  the 
carrying  out  of  this  new  plan,  fifty  schools,  spread  well 
over  the  entire  city,  were  selected,  to  each  of  which  one 
or  more  students  were  assigned  for  the  ten  week  period, 
to  be  spent  under  the  direction  of  the  principal,  who,  in 
each  case,  is  known  to  be  heartily  in  sympathy  with  the 
plan.  Practice  work  is  required  of  students  in  each  of  the 
three  groups,  pursuing  the  elementary,  kindergarten  and 
household  arts,  respectively,  which  are  the  three  courses 
now  given  in  the  Chicago  Normal  School. 

In  concluding  this  account  of  the  Chicago  Normal 
School,  it  is  appropriate  to  mention  the  interesting  fact 
that  the  Chicago  Normal  School  is  the  oldest  school  of  its 
kind  in  the  state,  having  been  put  in  operation  by  1856, 
and  thereby  antedating  the  Illinois  State  Normal  Univer- 
sity at  Normal,  Illinois,  established  in  1857,  by  one  year. 


58 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


It  is  only  fair,  too,  to  voice  a  few  words  of  sincerest 
appreciation  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Eberhart,  Mr.  D.  S. 
Wentworth,  and  others,  both  men  and  women,  who, 
whether  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  school  or  in  that  of 
the  general  vicinity,  sacrificed  for  the  permanent  estab- 
lishment of  the  principle  of  teacher  training,  during  the 
discouraging  days  when  the  very  life  of  that  progressive 
idea  was  threatened  with  extinction. 


CHAPTER  IX 

ENGLEWOOD  HIGH   SCHOOL 
6201  Stewart  Avenue 

IN  1859  the  first  school  house  was  erected  in  Englewood. 
It  was  a  two  story,  four  room  brick  building  that  stood 
where  the  playground  of  the  Englewood  High  School  is 
now  located.  Jt  has  been  described  as  resembling  a  four 
flat  building.  The  history  further  relates  that  "Ira  J. 
Nichols,  in  disposing  of  the  school  section,  wisely  made 
such  provision  as  enabled  the  building  of  this  house ;  and 
it  is  due  to  his  efforts  that  the  nucleus  of  a  building  fund 
was  obtained."     E.  W.  Jarrett  was  the  first  teacher. 

This  little  school  house  was  the  center  of  all  social, 
political,  religious  and  educational  activities  of  pioneer 
days  in  Englewood.  Not  only  was  the  first  elementary 
school  conducted  here,  but  the  first  high  school,  the  first 
normal  school  and  the  first  church  services.  Political 
meetings,  elections,  dances,  debates  and  secret  society 
meetings  were  held  here.  It  was  a  real  town  hall,  enjoyed 
by  the  whole  community.  It  ought  to  be  enshrined  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  of  Englewood  as  the  pioneer  of  our 
schools,  churches,  lodges  and  places  of  amusement. 

In  1869  the  Normal  School  was  removed  from  Blue 
Island  to  Englewood  and  was  housed  termorarily  on  the 
upper  floor  of  this  building,  which  was  afterwards  named 
the  Champlin  School.  Mr.  D.  S.  Wentworth  was  the 
principal.  The  work  of  the  Normal  School  was  largely 
academic  and  the  first  year  class  was  called  the  Normal 
Preparatory  Class.  In  1870,  when  the  Normal  School 
building  on  the  present  site  was  dedicated,  the  prepara- 
tory department  was  enlarged  and  the  course  extended  to 
three  years.  It  was  then  called  the  high  school  depart- 
ment of  the  Normal  School  and  was  inaugurated  to  pre- 
pare backward  pupils  for  the  regular  normal  school  course. 
Ira  A.  Shurtleff,  teacher  of  the  Normal  Preparatory  class, 
was  made  principal.  There  were  about  fifty  pupils  in  the 
entering  class  of  whom  eight  graduated.  Mr.  Shurtleff 
was  a  man  of  thorough  scholarship  and  effectiveness  as  a 

59 


60  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

teacher  and  those  who  knew  him  speak  in  the  highest 
terms  of  his  personal  qualities.  He  remained  in  charge 
of  the  school  but  two  years  when  he  died  under  a  surgical 
operation  in  the  Summer  of  1872. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Carter,  a  Harvard  graduate,  was  then 
elected  principal,  a  place  he  filled  with  distinction  for 
fourteen  years.  Mr.  Carter  brought  to  the  high  school 
rare  ability,  thorough  scholarship  and  a  strong  determina- 
tion to  place  the  schools  upon  a  high  professional  basis. 

The  right  of  experts  to  employ  and  discharge  teachers 
had  not  been  established  at  that  time  and  Mr.  Carter  was 
a  pioneer  in  bringing  about  the  professional  basis  under 
which  the  schools  are  operated  today. 

In  1874  the  Lewis  School  Building  was  completed  and 
the  high  school  was  removed  from  the  Normal  School  to 
the  second  floor  of  this  building,  which  still  stands  on  the 
high  school  grounds.  The  first  floor  was  occupied  by  the 
elementary  school  and  the  third  floor  was  a  free-for-all 
hall.  This  floor  was  afterward  divided  into  class  rooms 
and  occupied  by  the  growing  high  school. 

In  1886,  Mr.  Carter  resigned  his  place  as  principal  to 
engage  in  business  and  was  soon  after  elected  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education.  Here  he  did  great  service  for 
education,  since  he  knew  from  experience  what  were  the 
obstacles  to  the  progress  of  the  schools.  One  of  his  first 
acts  was  to  inaugurate  the  first  steps  toward  building  a 
high  school  building. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Carter  as  superintendent 
of  the  schools  of  Englewood  and  principal  of  Englewood 
High  School,  Mr.  O.  T.  Bright,  then  principal  of  the 
Douglas  School,  was  elected  superintendent  and  principal. 
In  1888,  the  first  Englewood  high  school  building  was 
occupied.  It  consisted  of  eleven  class  rooms,  a  drawing 
room,  a  physics  laboratory,  a  biology  laboratory,  a  chemis- 
try laboratory,  a  lecture  room,  a  library  and  an  assembly 
hall  seating  800.  This  building  was  considered  a  wonderful 
structure  and  Englewood  people  took  great  pride  in  it. 
There  were  some  people,  however,  who  fought  every  step 
of  the  way  and  after  it  was  completed,  declared  it  would 
not  all  be  needed  for  twenty  years  to  come.  How  nearly 
right  they  were  may  be  seen  now  by  a  trip  through  the 
magnificent  structure  that  completely  surrounds   that   first 


ENGLEWOOD  HIGH  SCHOOL  61 

high  school  building-,  adding  nearly  one  hundred  rooms 
to  the  original  structure  and  costing  the  city  a  million  and 
a  half  dollars. 

Mr.  Bright  brought  to  the  school  a  remarkable  execu- 
tive ability  and  a  strong  personality.  With  Mr.  Carter's 
help  on  the  Board  of  Education,  he  was  able  to  put  into 
effect  the  reforms  Mr.  Carter  had  inaugurated.  Dr.  A.  H. 
Champlin,  another  member  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
also  deserves  great  credit  for  his  assistance  in  putting 
education  upon  a  professional  basis. 

When  the  high  school  first  opened  in  its  own  building, 
about  one  hundred  pupils  entered  the  first  year  class  and 
the  next  year,  225.  In  1890,  the  membership  of  the  school 
was  303  and  Mr.  Bright  was  asking  for  an  addition  to  the 
building.  In  1889,  the  territory  covered  by  the  Town  of 
Lake,  of  which  Englewood  was  a  part,  was  annexed  to 
Chicago.  Mr.  Bright  remained  principal  of  the  high  school 
until  his  election  as  county  superintendent  of  schools  of 
Cook  County,  in  November,  1891. 

During  his  principalship  of  live  years  he  had  gathered 
about  him  able  assistants  and  had  imparted  to  the  school 
a  great  spirit  of  enthusiasm,  a  spirit  it  has  never  lost. 
He  was  a  keen  critic,  but  a  very  helpful  one.  He  was  an 
inspiration  to  the  school  and  made  everyone  feel  his 
enthusiasm   for  every  enterprise   he  undertook. 

On  the  30th  clay  of  November,  1891,  the  writer  be- 
came his  successor.  Many  friends  had  warned  me  that  I 
would  find  it  a  hard  task  to  follow  in  Mr.  Bright's  posi- 
tion, but  on  the  contrary  it  was  an  easy  one.  The  spirit 
of  loyalty  to  the  school  and  the  sense  of  duty  and  respon- 
sibility he  had  developed,  made  my  introduction  easy. 
Besides,  he  had  let  it  become  known  to  the  school  and  the 
community  that  I  was  his  personal  choice  as  his  successor 
and  that  no  doubt  made  pupils  and  teachers  who  respected 
his  judgment  feel  kindly  toward  the  young  man  whom 
good  fortune  made  his  successor. 

I  found  a  school  of  474  pupils  and  16  teachers.  The 
graduating  class  numbered  fifty,  which  was  the  largest  to 
that  date.  I  had  left  a  school  of  little  more  than  half  the 
size  and  in  a  community  where  most  boys  old  enough  to 
work  did  not  go  to  high  school.     I  was  much  impressed 


62  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

with  the  enthusiasm  of  the  hoys  for  athletic  sports  and  the 
general  spirit  of  push  I   found  in  Englewood. 

Of  the  teachers  then  in  the  high  school,  Victor  C. 
Alderson  soon  left  for  the  position  of  dean  of  Armour 
Institute  and  now  president  of  the  Colorado  School  of 
Mines. 

Fernando  San  ford,  now  professor  of  physics  at  the 
Leland  Stanford  University. 

Viola  Derato,  Marietta  C.  Crane,  Emma  M.  James 
and  Dr.  A.  S.  Smith  are  still  teachers  in  the  Englewood 
High  School  and  rendering  excellent  service.  All  the 
others   have   drifted   into   other   lines. 

Since  the  year  1891.  the  school  has  grown  with  leaps 
and  hounds.  Every  period  of  ten  years  has  seen  an 
addition  erected.  In  1887  the  first  building  was  hegun ; 
in  1897  the  middle  south  wing  was  erected.  This  gave  the 
school  its  gymnasium  and  an  essemhly  hall  large  enough 
to  receive  a  school  of  1,200,  the  former  hall  being  now 
used  for  a  study  hall.  This  building  was  detached  about 
sixty  feet  from  the  other  and  later  was  connected  on  the 
second  floor  by  a  bridge.  In  1907  the  front  of  the  build- 
ing was  erected,  connecting  the  two  wings  into  one  build- 
ing and  the  bridge  was  removed.  This  not  only  made  the 
building  a  completed  structure,  but  added  the  laboratories 
and  offices  now  very  much  needed. 

In  1902  the  first  Parent-Teacher's  Club  was  organized 
in  the  Englewood  High  School,  the  first  in  any  high  school 
in  Chicago.  Airs.  O.  T.  Bright  was  the  first  president  and 
a  notable  contribution  was  made  to  high  school  progress 
through  the  work  of  this  club.  Up  to  that  time  no  high 
school  in  Chicago  attempted  to  conduct  a  school  restau- 
rant, but  through  the  efforts  of  Mrs.  Bright  and  her  co- 
workers and  Mrs.  H.  A.  Morgan,  president  of  the  Engle- 
wood Woman's  Club,  a  lunch  room  was  opened  in  Sep- 
tember, 1903.  Now  every  high  school  in  Chicago  has  its 
lunch  room.  At  the  present  time  2,500  pupils  and  125 
teachers  eat  in  the  school  restaurant  of  Englewood  High 
School  daily. 

Scarcely  had  the  1907  addition  been  occupied  than  it 
was  apparent  a  larger  building  would  be  required  in  the 
near  future.  The  agitation  for  another  addition  or  a 
larger    building    on    a    new    site    was    soon    begun    by    the 


ENGLEWOOD  HIGH  SCHOOL  63 

Parent-Teacher's  Club.  Mrs.  L.  K.  Scotford,  then  presi- 
dent of  that  organization,  deserves  great  credit  for  her 
persistent  effort  in  this  difficult  task.  Various  plans  were 
laid  by  the  friends  of  the  school  and  defeated  by  those 
who  had  other  interests  at  stake.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
heroic  work  done  by  Robert  Roulston,  then  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education,  no  one  can  tell  what  the  fate  of 
the  school  would  have  been.  He  proposed  what  most 
people  thought  was  the  impossible,  and  carried  it  through, 
by  which  Englevv^od  now  has  one  of  the  best  school  build- 
ings and  equipments  in  Chicago. 

The  adjoining  property  of  the  entire  block,  except  the 
southeast  corner,  was  purchased,  the  houses  wrecked  or 
moved  away  and  a  million  dollar  addition  erected.  A  new 
elementary  school  building  was  erected  on  the  lot  and  the 
second  Champlin  building  turned  over  to  the  high  school 
for  shops.  A  playground  150x250  feet  occupies  the  cen- 
ter of  the  lot  and  the  Lewis-Champlin  School  has  two 
playgrounds  about  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  each.  Over 
three  thousand  two  hundred  pupils  now  attend  the  day 
school  and  over  five  thousand  the  evening  school. 

During  the  summer  vacation  a  high  school  of  1,200 
pupils  from  the  South  Side  high  schools  attend  here  for 
eight  weeks.  No  one  can  claim  that  the  Englewood  High 
School  is  not  making  an  adequate  return  on  the  invest- 
ment  the  city  has   made   here. 

The  departments  that  have  been  added  since  1891  are 
as  follows  : 

Gymnasium  exercise — two  gymnasiums. 

Stenography  and  typewriting — ten  rooms. 

Bookkeeping — three  rooms. 

Laboratories — fifteen  rooms. 

Lecture  Rooms — four  rooms. 

Shops — thirteen  rooms. 

Of  the  shop  courses,  there  are  courses  in  clay  model- 
ing, weaving,  jewelry,  dress-making,  millinery,  cooking, 
laundry,  sheet  metal,  electricity,  auto  mechanics,  pattern 
making,  typewriter  repair,  and  carpentry. 

Beside  these  are  the  full  complement  of  class  rooms, 
drawing  rooms,  both  free  hand  and  mechanical,  music 
rooms,  a  library  maintained  by  the  city,  a  dramatic  room, 


64  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

a  military  room,  and  a  wonderful  assembly  hall  that  seats 
2,500  people  and  which  is  open  free  for  public  uses. 

The  number  of  graduates  per  year  now  numbers  nearly 
as  many  pupils  as  it  had  total  membership  in  1891,  and 
one-fourth  as  many  teachers  as  there  were  pupils  that 
year.  The  number  of  its  graduates  is  now  about  5,000 
and  they  are  filling  places  of  honor  and  great  responsi- 
bility. The  record  of  the  school  for  scholarship,  debate, 
oratory  and  athletics  are  well  known  throughout  the 
country. 

A  pipe  organ,  the  first  for  any  high  school  in  Chicago, 
is  now  being  installed  in  the  assembly  hall.  The  funds 
for  this  expense  have  been  saved  up  by  the  school  for 
the  last  fifteen  years  and  set  aside  for  this  purpose. 
Dramatic  and  musical  entertainments  and  later  donations 
from  the  Englewood  Woman's  Club  were  the  sources  of 
this  fund. 

Fifty-six  trophies  have  been  won  by  the  school  in  its 
various  contests  with  the  other  high  schools  of  the  city 
and  state  since  1891.  They  consist  of  banners,  flags, 
pennants,  shields,  and  loving  cups.  They  were  won  by 
the  pupils  in  football,  baseball,  tennis,  track  meets,  military 
drills,   rifle   shooting,   debates,   oratory  and   basketball. 

If  there  is  anything  for  which  the  school  is  noted 
abroad,  it  is  the  spirit  of  loyalty  the  student  body  has  for 
its  school  and  the  energy  and  determination  with  which  it 
enters  into  all  contests. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF   ENGLEWOOD 
Englewood   Evening   School 

IN  the  Fall  of  1888  the  Board  of  Education  granted 
the  writer  permission  to  open  a  private  evening- 
school  in  that  same  little  four  room  school  house  that 
was  the  forerunner  of  the  schools — normal,  high  and 
elementary,  churches,  lodges,  theatres  and  dance  halls 
of  Englewood.  Classes  were  conducted  for  foreigners 
in  one  room,  grade  work  in  a  second  and  high  school 
work  in  a  third.  Two  elementary  teachers  assisted  the 
principal  in  this  work  and  the  expense  defrayed  by  a 
small  tuition  fee.  As  the  Board  allowed  the  janitor  of 
the  building  to  fix  his  own  salary,  he  received  a  greater 
share  of  the  tuition  fees  than  the  principal.  The  school 
ran  three  months  and  as  the  schools  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Chicago  Board  by  the  next  winter,  the 
private  school  was  not  reopened.  In  October  of  1891 
the  Board  opened  an  evening  school  in  the  Englewood 
High  School  of  which  Mr.  Bright  was  then  principal 
until  November  30,  when  the  writer  was  transferred 
from  his  former  position  as  principal  of  Lake  High 
School,  now  Tilden  Technical. 

This  school,  like  the  day  high  school,  has  grown 
from  250  to  5,000  pupils. 

During  the  school  year,  1921-1922,  the  experiment 
has  been  tried,  for  the  first  time  in  Chicago,  of  giving 
regular  day  high  school  work  in  evening  school.  About 
one  thousand  pupils  have  been  enrolled  in  these  "stand- 
ard" high  school  classes.  Most  of  the  subjects  of  the 
regular  high  school  curriculum  have  been  taught  and 
the  experiment  gives  promise  of  being  a  complete  suc- 
cess. One  hundred  and  ten  teachers  have  been  giving 
instruction  in  evening  classes,  while  the  following  num- 
bers of  the  enrollment  in  the  different  departments  -will 
indicate  their  relative  size:  In  commercial  subjects, 
1,591;  in  shop  and  technical  courses,  1,036;  in  domestic 

05 


66  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

science  courses,  1,278;  in  elementary  and  grade  classes, 
295 ;  and  foreigners  in  English  and  Americanization 
classes,  533. 

It  has  been  found  necessary  on  account  of  the 
crowded  condition  of  the  evening  school,  to  place  the 
foreign  classes  in  the  Lewis-Champlin  Elementary 
School,  on  the  same  grounds  with  the  high  school. 

Tihe  principals  of  the  Evening  School  in  the  Engle- 
wood  High  School  have  been  Mr.  James  E.  Armstrong, 
from  1891  to  1914;  Mr.  Harry  Keeler,  from  1914  to 
1919;  Mr.  C.  E.  DeButts,  from  September  to  December, 
1919,  and  Mr.  Willis  E.  Tower,  from  December,  1919, 
to  date. 

At  the  present  time  a  registration  fee  of  two  dollars 
is  required  of  all  in  high  school  subjects.  This  is 
returned  at  the  end  of  the  year  if  the  pupil  has  been 
present  three-fourths  of  the  time.  The  Board  of  Edu- 
cation pays  all  of  the  expenses  of  the  evening  school 
except  in  certain  classes  in  technical  and  domestic  sci- 
ence subjects,  that  come  under  the  provisions  of  the 
Smith-Hughes  Act ;  one-half  of  the  teacher's  pay  of 
such  classes  is  met  by  the  United  States  Government. 
During  1921-1922  this  amounted  to  about  nine  hundred 
dollars. 

Parker  High  School 

The  Parker  High  School  was  opened  in  September, 
1910,  with  an  enrollment  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  first- 
year  pupils  and  four  teachers.  It  occupied  rooms  in  the 
west  end  of  the  Parker  Practice  building.  Mr.  William 
B.  Owen,  as  principal  of  the  Normal  College,  became 
principal  of  the  high  school  also.  Mrs.  Dillon  was  his 
assistant.  Two  new  teachers  were  added  during  this 
year.     Only  academic  subjects  were  offered. 

In  September,  1911,  the  enrollment  had  increased  to 
three  hundred  and  fifty. 

In  September,  1912,  Mr.  Dillon  left  Parker  and  Miss 
Bednar  became  assistant  principal. 

By  September,  1913,  the  enrollment  had  risen  to 
five  hundred.  More  subjects  and  more  courses  were 
offered,  both  technical  and  commercial  work  being- 
taught. 


THE  SCHOOLS  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


07 


Each  succeeding  year  brought  more  pupils  and  more 
teachers,  the  high  school  expanding  to  rooms  in  the 
Normal  College  building  in  1912  and  in  the  winter  of 
1914-15  to  rooms  in  the  Arts  building.  Indeed,  the  high 
school  now  occupies  so  much  room  here  that  the  Arts 
building  is  frequently  referred  to  as  the  Parker  High 
School  building. 

In    February,    1917,    Mr.    Owens    severed    his    direct 


Hiram   Kelly  Library,   62nd  St.   and  Normal  Blvd. 


connection  with  the  high  school  and  Mr.  Charles  \Y. 
French  was  elected  principal.  Mr.  French  was  princi- 
pal a  little  less  than  four  years,  during  which  time  he 
endeared  himself  alike  to  all  who  came  in  contact  with 
him.    His  death  occurred  November  11,  1921. 

Mr.  Charles  H.  Parrine  was  elected  to  the  principal- 
ship  the  latter  part  of  November,  1921. 

The  Parker  High  School  now  has  an  enrollment  of 
1,430  pupils.  It  has  a  faculty  of  fifty-three  teachers,  all 
of  them  specialists  in  their  chosen  fields.  It  has  well- 
equipped  shops  and  laboratories  and  offers  practically 
all  the  courses  offered  by  the  other  cosmopolitan  high 
schools  of  the  city.     It   graduates   annually   about   one 


68 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


o      .2 
~  we  « 


^ 


THE  SCHOOLS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  69 

hundred  and  fifty  to  sixty  pupils  from  its  two  year 
courses.  From  25  to  35  per  cent  of  its  graduates  go  to 
higher  institutions  of  learning  where  an  unusually  high 
percentage  of  them  are  doing  exceptionally  creditable 
work. 

The  Lindblom   High   School 

The  Lindblom  High  School,  erected  at  a  cost  of  a 
million  and  a  half  dollars,  with  an  additional  expendi- 
ture of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  equipment, 
was  completed  in  the  Spring  of  1919.  At  that  time  Mr. 
Harry  Keeler  was  appointed  principal,  and  the  follow- 
ing September  school  was  opened  with  a  student  en- 
rollment of  about  800  and  a  faculty  of  forty-two. 

In  less  than  three  years  the  school  has  almost  mul- 
tiplied its  membership  by  four.  In  February,  1922,  it 
had  2,986  students  in  attendance.  Meantime  its  faculty 
has  grown  at  a  corresponding  rate.  In  1920  the  teach- 
ing force  numbered   57;  in   1921,  73;  in   1922,  96. 

Lindblom's  full  line  of  shops  and  laboratories  and 
its  splendid  equipment  for  all  branches  of  academic 
study  and  art  and  craft  work  are  now  being  used  to  the 
limit  of  their  capacity.  Each  semester  shows  an  in- 
crease in  the  registration  in  the  four-year  courses,  and 
in  the  number  of  two-year  graduates  who  return  to 
complete  a  full  high  school  course. 

The  school  is  located  at  62nd  and  Lincoln  streets, 
and  serves  a  district  extending  from  43rd  to  75th  streets 
and  from  Racine  to  the  west  city  limits. 

It  seldom  happens  in  Chicago  that  a  large  high 
school  springs  suddenly  into  existence.  Most  of  our 
high  schools  have  slowly  grown  to  their  present  size 
through  many  years,  or  as  in  the  case  of  the  original 
Chicago  high  schools  before  annexation,  dwindled  to 
their  present  size  with  the  migration  of  the  residence 
districts  to  the  suburbs.  This  school  has  had  a  phe- 
nomenal growth  in  three  years,  from  one  of  the  small- 
est to  one  of  the  largest. 

The  Board  of  Education  has  taken  great  pains  to 
erect  and  equip  this  school  as  its  most  up  to  date 
building.  It  has  attracted  widespread  attention  from 
educators    from    abroad.       From    the    standpoint    of    its 


70 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


utility,  probably  no  high  school  in  Chicago  has  so 
quickly  ingratiated  itself  into  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
its  patrons.  The  school  is  not  only  the  educational 
center  of  the  district,  but  is  its  social,  dramatic  and 
musical  center. 

The  principal,  Mr.  Harry  Keeler,  has  proved  the 
wisdom  of  his  selection  because  his  energy,  enthusiasm 
and  executive  ability  have  reproduced  themselves  in 
the  teachers  and  pupils  under  his  direction. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 

T3Y  1878  the  school  buildings  of  the  Town  of  Lake 
-■— '  had  become  so  numerous  that  a  distinctive  name 
was  given  to  each  of  the  ten  schools,  as  follows : 

The  Normal,  the  Lewis  or  High  School,  the  Champ- 
lin — the  pioneer  building — the  Coleman,  the  Brownell, 
the  Springer,  the  Pullman,  the  Coy,  the  Oswald  and 
the  Chittick. 

In  1884  the  Town  of  Lake  was  made  into  two  school 
districts  so  that  the  territory  north  of  55th  Street  was 
no  longer  considered  a  part  of  Englewood,  and  with 
the  division  came  the  opening  of  the  Lake  High  School 
for  this  territory  cut  off  at  the  north. 

In  1920  the  Tilden  Technical  High  School  was  closed 
to  the  admission  of  girls,  and  so  many  of  the  elemen- 
tary schools,  that  were  tributary  to  that  school,  were 
attached  to  the  Englewood  high  school  district.  These 
were :  The  Parkman,  Sherman,  Graham  and  the  Dewey. 
At  the  same  time  the  following  were  added  from  the 
east  side  to  relieve  the  congestion  in  the  Hyde  Park 
High  School.  The  Burke,  the  Sexton,  and  on  the  west 
the  Copernicus,  the  Earle,  the  Harper,  the  Raster,  and 
the  Eberhart  were  cut  off  to  form  the  Lindblom  high 
school   district. 

Robert  Lindblom  (1844-1907)  was  one  of  the  most 
influential  promoters  of  the  World's  Fair  and  one  of  its 
directors.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion (1893-1896)  and  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission 
(1898-1902). 

The  Lewis-Champlin   School 
3001  W.  Englewood  Avenue 

The  Champlin  School  was  named  in  honor  of  Dr. 
A.  H.  Champlin,  member  of  the  County  Board  of  Edu- 
cation that  had  control  of  the  Normal  School,  and  a 
member  of  the  Town  of   Lake   Board  of  Education. 

This  school  had  its  origin  in  the  first  school  building 

71 


72  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

erected  in  Englewood.  It  stood  on  the  ground  now 
occupied  by  the  Englewood  High  School  play  ground. 
It  was  the  pioneer  not  only  of  schools,  but  churches, 
lodges  and  places  of  amusement. 

This  building  was  erected  in  1859  and  the  first  prin- 
cipal was  E.  W.  Jarrett.  Ten  years  later  the  Normal 
School  occupied  the  second  floor  and  with  it  the  pre- 
paratory class  that  was  organized  the  next  year  into  a 
high  school  class  at  the  Normal  School  building  at  68th 
Street. 

This  building  was  doubtless  known  during  these 
years  as  "The  School  House."  Eater  on,  when  school 
buildings  multiplied,  it  was  named  "The  Champlin 
School,"  in  honor  of  Dr.  A.  H.  Champlin.  In  1864 
the  Lewis  building,  named  in  honor  of  Mr.  H.  B.  Lewis, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Englewood,  and  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  many  years,  was  erected  and  the  lower 
floor  occupied  by  elementary  pupils.  It  was  Mrs.  Lewis 
who  gave  the  name  Englewood  to  the  village. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Carter  was  principal  of  both  the  high 
school  which  occupied  the  second  floor  of  this  build- 
ing and  the  elementary  school  on  the  first  floor  in  the 
Champlin  building.  The  third  floor  was  then  an  assem- 
bly hall  for  schools  and  the  community.  Mr.  Homer 
Bevans  was  a  teacher  in  the  highest  room  of  the  ele- 
mentary school  until  elected  principal  of  the  Farren 
School  in  1884  and  Mr.  J.  W.  May  succeeded  him.  In 
1885  Mr.  May  was  transferred  to  the  new  Beale  School 
and  Miss  Kate  S.  Kellogg  was  elected  principal.  In 
1890  a  new  building  of  fourteen  rooms  wras  built  to  take 
the  place  of  the  four-room  Champlin  building.  This 
new  building  was  named  the  Champlin  School  and  the 
old  building  was  demolished  to  give  place  to  the  heating- 
plant. 

Miss  Kellogg  remained  principal  of  the  school  for 
twenty  years  and  was  then  transferred  to  the  principal- 
ship  of  the  Normal  Practice  school  and  afterward 
became  district  superintendent.  Mr.  Henry  S.  Crane 
followed  Miss  Kellogg  in  1905  and  remained  in  that 
position  until  elected  district  superintendent  in  1919, 
when  Mr.  Samuel  Allison  was  made  principal.     In  1916 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  73 

a  thirty-two  room  building'  was  erected  on  the  enlarged 
grounds  fronting  on  Englewood  Avenue  and  given  the 
name  of  the  two  buildings  it  was  intended  to  replace— 
the  Lewis-Ohamplin.  The  former  Champlin  building 
was  then  turned  over  to  the  high  school  and  recon- 
structed into  a  shop  building.  The  old  Lewis  building, 
intended  to  be  removed,  is  still  in  use  for  overflow 
rooms.  It  was  used  many  years  for  overflow  from  the 
high  school  and  now  by  the  elementary,  and  as  pros- 
pects stand  it  will  serve  a  useful  purpose  for  many  years 
to  come. 

The  membership  of  the  school  now  is  1,400,  with 
forty  teachers. 

The  Yale  School 

The  Yale  School  Avas  named  for  the  avenue  on  which 
it  stands.  This  school  was  at  one  time  called  the  Jones 
School  and  had  its  inception  in  a  frame  building  on  69th 
Street,  near  Stewart  Avenue,  in  1886. 

It  was  called  the  Willard  School,  in  honor  of  its 
principal,  Mrs.  Alma  M.  Willard,  although  this  name 
was  never  formally  recognized  by  the  Englewood  Board 
of  Education,  District  No.  10,  under  whose  jurisdiction 
it  came.  There  was  a  branch  of  the  school  in  a  frame 
building  occupying  the  triangular  lot  on  the  west  side 
of  Yale  Avenue  and  68th  Street.  It  was  known  as 
Shay's  Hall. 

The  pupils  of  these  two  buildings  found  more  com- 
modious quarters  in  the  Spring  of  1887  in  a  red  brick 
building  of  eight  rooms  on  70th  Street  between  Yale 
and  Princeton  avenues,  then  known  as  Webster  avenue, 
with  Mrs.  Alma  M.  Willard  as  principal  and  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Thresher  as  head  assistant. 

It  was  named  the  Jones  School  in  honor  of  C.  W. 
Jones,  then  a  resident  of  Englewood  and  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education.  The  school  retained  this  name 
until  the  school  year  of  1889-1890,  when  it  received  the 
name  of  ShurtlefT,  in  honor  of  Ira  Shurtleff,  a  very 
exemplary  man  and  principal  of  the  first  high  school  of 
Englewood,  which  was  in  the  Cook  County  Normal 
School   building  at  68th   Street  and  Stewart  Avenue. 


74  THE  STORY  OE  ENGLEWOOD 

In  1892  the  name  was  changed  to  Yale  School,  owing 
to  its  location  on  Yale  Avenue. 

In  January,  1894,  the  east  and  west  wings  of  the 
building  were  completed  and  all  of  the  pupils  moved 
into  the  new  additions. 

In  1900  the  school  became  Yale  Practice  School  in 
connection  with  the  Normal  School.  Arnold  Tompkins 
was  head  principal  of  the  Normal  School,  Normal  Prac- 
tice and  Yale  Practice.  Mrs.  A.  M.  Willard  was  in 
charge  of  the  Yale. 

In  September,  1901,  John  S.  Welch  was  made  prin- 
cipal and  served  until  the  close  of  June,  1903,  when  he 
left  for  Salt  Lake  City.  Mrs.  Willard  went  to  the 
Brownell  School,  where  she  served  as  principal  until 
her  death,   November,   1914. 

In  September,  1903,  Edward  F.  Worst  became  prin- 
cipal and  served  until  November,  1906,  when  he 
accepted  the  position  as  the  head  of  the  construction 
department  in  the  Normal  College. 

In  September,  1905,  owing  to  the  death  of  Dr.  Tomp- 
kins, Mrs.  Ella  Flagg  Young  was  made  principal  of  the 
Normal  College  and  the  Parker  and  Yale  Practice 
schools. 

In  November,  1906,  William  Schoch  of  the  R.  T. 
Crane  High  School  became  principal  and  served  until 
January,  1917.  He  then  became  principal  of  the  Morgan 
Park  High  School.  The  Yale  School  ceased  to  be  a 
practice  school  at  the  close  of  June,   1907. 

In  January,  1917,  Cyrus  Lauron  Hooper,  principal 
of  the  McLaren  School,  became  principal,  which  posi- 
tion he  is  holding  December,  1921.  The  school  now 
has   1,029  pupils  and  twenty-six  teachers. 

The  D.   S.  Wentworth    School 
6950  South.  Sangamon   Street 

The  Wentworth  School  was  named  in  honor  of  D.  S. 
Wentworth,  first  principal  of  the  Normal  School. 

This  school  was  organized  in  the  Kershaw  building 
in  1889,  pending  the  completion  of  the  building  at  Sang- 
amon and  70th  streets,  the  present  site. 

Owing  to  complications  arising  from  annexation,  the 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  75 

building  was  not  completed  until  February,  1890,  and 
the  two  schools  occupied  the  Kershaw  building  alter- 
nate half  days  for  five  months.  This  building  was  full 
when  opened  and  was  enlarged  in  1892,  1894,  and  in 
1897. 

Mr.  S.  P.  Goodhue  was  transferred  from  the  Carter 
School  in  1889  and  remained  in  charge  until  he  was 
made  district  superintendent  in  1900.  He  was  followed 
by  Mr.  W.  H.  Campbell,  who  occupied  the  position  until 
elected  examiner  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  1913. 
He  was  then  succeeded  by  Mr.  H.  J.  Monyhan  and 
he,  in  1917,  by  Mr.  James  E.  McDade. 

The  school  now  has  1,325  pupils  and  thirty-five 
teachers. 

The   Sherwood   School 
57th  Street  and  Princeton  Avenue 

The  Sherwood  School,  named  in  honor  of  Jesse 
Sherwood,  once  a  member  of  the  Town  of  Lake  Board 
of  Education,  was  organized  in  1885  when  the  original 
building  was   completed. 

There  were  eight  rooms  and  225  pupils.  The  prin- 
cipal was  Miss  Margaret  McGurn  (Mrs.  J.  Delany).  It 
was  in  District  10,  under  Superintendent  O.  T.  Bright, 
in  1886,  when  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of 
schools  of  Englewood,  then  a  suburb  of  Chicago. 

In  1888  Miss  McGurn  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  W.  J. 
Black  and  in  1912  the  twelve-room  addition  was  erected. 

In  1903  there  were  twenty-seven  teachers  and  every 
available  space  in  the  building  was  used  for  class  rooms. 
Three  rooms  on  the  third  floor  were  prepared  for  class 
rooms,  a  part  of  the  assembly  hall  was  screened  off  and 
a  "double  division"  was  necessary  for  the  increased 
membership. 

By  1913  the  membership  had  decreased  to  768  pupils 
and  the  number  of  teachers  to  twenty.  Mr.  Black  died 
in  1913  and  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Sarah  Kirkley,  who 
was  transferred  to  the  Ryerson  School  in  1915.  Her 
successor  was  Mr.  Edmund  B.  Smith.  The  membership 
increased,  there  being  921  pupils  and  twenty-one  teach- 
ers. 

When   Mr.  Smith  was  transferred  to  the   Kozminski 


76  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

in  1920,  Mr.  Irvin  A.  Wilson  became  principal.  During 
the  two  years  (1920  to  1922)  when  he  was  principal,  the 
building  was  modernized.  A  teachers'  rest  room  was 
equipped  and  the  office  refurnished. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  transferred  to  a  larger  school,  the 
Mark  Sheridan,  in  January,  1922.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Miss  Christine  Bednar  from  the  Parker  High  School. 
Her  present  corps  of  teachers  number  nineteen,  of 
whom  twelve  are  graduates  of  the  Chicago  Normal  Col- 
lege. Of  these,  three  or  four  graduated  from  the  col- 
lege during  Col.  Parker's  time.  The  present  enrollment 
is  909. 

The  Carter  School 
5740  Michigan  Avenue 

The  Carter  School  was  named  in  honor  of  W.  W. 
Carter,  second  principal  of  the  Englewood  High  School 
and  member  of  the  Town  of  Lake  Board  of  Education 
and  at  one  time  president  of  that  board. 

The  school  was  organized  January  1,  1885.  It  was 
then  called  the  Wabash  Avenue  School.  David  A. 
White  was  principal  until  January,  1886,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Wm.  J.  Black,  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  L.  P.  Goodhue.  In  September  Mr.  Frank  M.  Mc- 
Murry,  now  professor  of  Pedagogy  in  Columbia  Univer- 
sity, was  elected  principal.  Upon  the  resignation  of 
Mr.  McMurry  in  1890,  Miss  Abbie  E.  Lane,  then  a 
teacher  in  Englewood  High  School,  was  elected  to  the 
principalship,  which  she  still  holds. 

Since  1909  this  school  has  been  one  of  the  practice 
schools  for  training  cadets  of  the  Normal  College. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  1,348  pupils  enrolled 
and  thirty-five  teachers. 

The  Beale  School 

The  Beale  School  was  named  in  honor  of  William  G. 
Beale,  who  was  at  one  time  principal  of  the  Hyde  Park 
High  School.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation of  Chicago  from  1889  to  1892  and  president  of 
that  board  during  his  last  year. 

The  school  was  organized  the  first  week  in  March, 
1892,  with  1,000  pupils.     Within  two  years  the  member- 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  11 

ship  increased  to  1,700.  When  the  Holmes  School  was 
erected  in  1894,  the  Beale  membership  was  reduced  to 
1,400.  Within  one  year  the  Beale  membership  increased 
to  1,600.  The  Bass  School  was  erected  in  1895,  which 
reduced  the  Beale  membership  to  about  1,300.  Within 
one  year  the  Beale  grew  to  a  membership  of  1,450,  and 
when  the  Earle  School  was  organized  in  1896,  the  Beale 
was  again  reduced  to  about  1,250.  During  the  next  four 
years  the  Beale  had  grown  to  1,800  pupils,  and  in  two 
years  more  had  a  membership  of  2,200'  pupils.  When 
the  Copernicus  School  was  erected  in  1905,  the  Beale 
was  reduced  to  1,350.  The  Beale  district,  now  being 
reduced  to  such  a  small  area,  the  school  has  remained 
with  a  membership  of  1,350  to  1,450.  Teachers,  thirty- 
one. 

It  is  estimated  that  from  2,800  to  3,000  young  people 
have  graduated  from  the  Beale  School  since  its  erection 
in  1892.  Mr.  John  W.  May  was  the  first  principal  and 
Miss  Hattie  Bacon  (now  Mrs.  Charles  L.  Thayer)  was 
the  first  head  assistant.  Mr.  May  has  remained  prin- 
cipal of  the  Beale  to  the  present  time  and  is  still  in  the 
work,  keeping  the  school  up  to  standard.  Miss  Louise 
Merrill,  who  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Beale  for  many 
years,  is  now  its  head  assistant.  Mr.  Edward  Collins 
has  been  engineer  of  the  Beale  nearly  twenty-nine  years 
and  he  is  still  in  the  work. 

The  Brow nell  School 
6509  South  Perry  Avenue 

The  Browiiell  School  was  named  in  honor  of  C.  S. 
Brownell,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Town  of  Lake 
Board  of  Education  and  president  of  that  board  in 
1886-87. 

The  school  was  organized  in  1869  as  the  Clark  Street 
School.  In  1871  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Mack 
School  and  then  in  1875  when  the  original  building  was 
erected  on  the  site  now  occupied,  the  name  was  changed 
to  the  Brownell. 

The  new  building-  was  not  fully  completed  until  1878 
and  Mrs.  D.  E.  Wards  was  elected  principal,  followed 
by  Mrs.  Alma  M.  Willard  in  1880.  In  1883  Mrs.  Wil- 
lard   was   succeeded  by    Miss   Sara   Curtis   and    in    1885 


78  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Mr.  F.  B.  Ormsby  was  made  principal.     In  1888  the  old 
building  was  replaced  by  the  present  structure. 

In  1895  Mr.  Ormsby  was  transferred  to  the  Bass 
School  and  Mary  C.  Baker  was  made  principal.  She 
was  succeeded  in  1902  by  Mrs.  Alma  Willard,  who  held 
the  place  until  her  death  in  1914.  Miss  Alice  Sollitt  was 
then  elected  principal  and  continued  until  1921,  when 
Miss  H.  Gertrude  Jaynes  was  elected.  The  school  now 
has  500  pupils  and  thirteen  teachers. 

Perkins  Bass   School 
6554  South   May  Street 

The  Perkins  Bass  School  was  named  in  honor  of 
Mr.  Perkins  Bass,  who  was  the  principal  of  one  of  the 
first  elementary  schools  in  Chicago,  when  Chicago  was 
only  a  village.  In  1857  the  Legislature  provided  for  a 
Board  of  Education,  of  which  Mr.  Bass  was  a  member 
for  three  successive  terms.  It  was  through  his  efforts 
that  the  Legislature  authorized  the  City  Board  of  Edu- 
cation to  issue  bonds  and  with  the  first  $500,000  the 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  present  extensive  system  of 
schools.  Mr.  Bass  upon  learning  that  a  school  building 
had  been  named  in  his  honor  made  a  gift  of  $4,500  for 
the  use  of  the  school  for  the  purchase  of  pictures  and 
statuary.  The  income  of  this  fund  is  still  being  ex- 
pended for  the  benefit  of  the  school. 

The  school  was  opened  November  25,  1905,  and  dedi- 
cated June  28,  1896.  Mr.  Fulton  B.  Ormsby  was  the 
principal. 

In  1914,  after  two  years  of  illness,  Mr.  Ormsby  re- 
signed. In  September  of  that  year  Miss  Lucy  I.  Laing 
was  transferred  from  the  Spaulding  to  the  Bass  School. 

Increasing  membership  necessitated  making  two 
additional  recitation  rooms  out  of  the  assembly  hall, 
preventing  its  use  as  a  gymnasium,  thus  restricting  the 
opportunities  for  physical  education.  School  activities 
have  been  broadened  since  1901  to  include  manual  train- 
ing, cooking,  sewing  and  printing.  A  nurse  and  doctor 
supervise  the  health  of  the  children.  However,  no  addi- 
tions have  been  made  to  the  original  building  to  care 
adequately  for  these  activities. 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS  79 

The  school  now  has  1,100  pupils  and  twenty-six 
teachers. 

St.   Bernard's   School 

Towards  the  end  of  August,  1892,  St.  Bernard's 
School  was  made  an  assured  fact  by  the  arrival  of  six 
religious  sisters  from  Loretto  Abbey,  Canada.  These 
devoted  sisters  of  the  "Institute  of  the  B.  V.  M.,"  more 
familiarly  known  as  "Ladies  of  Loretto,"  lived  for  a 
time  at  67th  Street  and  Stewart  Avenue,  suffering  with 
holy  serenity  the  privations  caused  by  distance  from 
school,  and  inconvenient  household  arrangements,  until 
Rev.  Bernard  P.  Murray  was  able  to  buy  and  fit  out 
the  first  convent  at  6520  Stewart  Avenue.  The  convent 
at  6541  Stewart  Avenue,  the  permanent  home  of  the 
sisters,  was  built  in   1897. 

In  recording  the  progress  of  the  school,  it  is  no  easy 
matter  for  us  to  speak  fittingly  of  the  generous  consid- 
eration, the  countless  acts  of  kindness,  the  unremitting 
care  of  the  beloved  pastor.  God  blessed  his  efforts ; 
his  church  was  the  center  of  vigorous  catholicity,  and 
his  school,  the  object  of  his  most  ardent  efforts,  pros- 
pered from  the  very  first.  His  great  interest  in  Chris- 
tian education  will  keep  him  in  the  memory  of  many  for 
years  to  come.  He  detested  distinction  of  poor  and 
rich.  He  educated,  clothed,  and  cared  for  the  children 
of  his  poorer  parishioners,  wishing  that  they  might  not 
feel  the  embarrassment  of  ignorance  in  after  life.  He 
did  not  wish  that  any  parents,  rich  or  poor,  should 
regret  having  sent  their  children  to  a  Catholic  school. 
He  followed  them  through  their  years  of  study  and 
after  graduation  found  positions  for  them  in  banks  and 
business  houses,  which  many  of  them  have  kept  until 
the  present  time. 

In  1893  St.  Bernard's  High  School  was  established. 
This  was  the  second  Catholic  high  school  in  Chicago. 
In  1912  the  commercial  school  was  opened  and  success- 
fully conducted  and  the  parochial  schools  of  St.  Ber- 
nard's are  among  the  best  in  the  city. 

Englewood   Business   College 
The   Englewood   Business    College  is  one   of   Engle- 


80  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

wood's  newer  accomplishments,  a  result  of  the  ever 
increasing  influx  of  business,  and  a  forerunner  of  the 
many  structures  that  are  now  being  erected  on  sites  so 
recently  occupied  by  buildings  that  Englewood  has  out- 
grown. This  institution  is  the  largest  business  college 
in  Chicago ;  is  one  of  the  few  leading  business  colleges 
in  the  United  States  and  acknowledged  the  finest  busi- 
ness college  building  in   America. 

The  Englewood  Business  College  was  organized  in 
May,  1909,  by  F.  B.  Bellis,  John  D.  Lucas,  C.  F.  Deni- 
son,  and  F.  W.  RoepstorfT — men  whose  large  experience 
covered  years  of  association  and  affiliation  with  busi- 
ness and  commercial  colleges.  The  entire  third  floor  of 
the  Chicago  City  Bank  building  at  6235  Halsted  Street, 
then  nearing  completion,  was  rented.  On  July  6  the 
college  opened  its  doors  to  fifty  students.  It  was  fully 
equipped  and  prepared  to  teach  all  commercial  branches, 
having  departments  of  accountancy,  bookkeeping,  office 
practice,  shorthand  and  typewriting. 

Believing  in  preparedness,  and  realizing  that  it  would 
only  be  a  matter  of  time  until  still  larger  quarters  would 
be  essential,  the  management  purchased,  in  1910,  the 
ground  at  735-41  Englewood  Avenue,  whereon  to  erect 
a  building  of  its  own,  suited  ideally  for  business  college 
training'.  The  plans  were  drawn  and  preparations  made 
for  the  construction,  but  the  advent  of  the  World  war 
interrupted  the  erection.  The  delay  caused  a  change  in 
the  plans  with  more  modern  improvements  so  it  was 
not  until  the  Fall  of  1920  that  ground  was  broken  and 
the  foundation  laid.  In  the  Fall  of  1921  the  building- 
was  completed.  From  seven  to  eight  hundred  students 
can  now  be  accommodated  in  the  study  rooms  in  addi- 
tion to  a  large  auditorium  on  the  ground  floor  used 
specially  for  social  affairs.  Not  only  capacity  was  taken 
into  consideration,  but .  durability,  safety,  comfort  and 
beauty. 

The  foundation  has  been  made  so  as  to  support  three 
more  stories,  actuated  by  the  rapid  increase  in  the  past 
years.  When  the  growth  of  the  college  necessitates 
this  addition,  the  capacity  will  be  sufficient  for  an 
attendance  of  two  thousand. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  PROFESSIONAL  MEN  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

LIKE  all  well  regulated  communities,  Englewood  had 
to  have  its  quota  of  lawyers.  In  1876  we  find  the 
following  who  were  practicing  in  this  district : 

E.  W.  Adkinson,  who  has  ever  been  prominent  in 
Englewood  affairs,  political  and  legal,  is  even  yet  a  hale, 
hearty  old  gentleman  who  keeps  thoroughly  abreast  of  the 
times. 

John  Byrne,  W.  D.  Carlisle,  Stillman  A.  Danforth, 
Wallace  Douglas,  Seth  M.  Dunning,  David  M.  Hillis, 
George  D.  Ladd,  Isaac  F.  Mack,  W.  L.  Maynard,  Charles 
J.  Smith,  Orrin  Turner,  A.  H.  Veeder,  who  later  became 
chief  counsel  for  the  vast  interests  of  the  Swift  Packing- 
Co.,  and  Fitz  Allen  Woodbury. 

Later  came  David  Trexler,  M.  Pennypacker,  W.  M. 
Webster,  and  Theodore  F.  Ehler,  who  is  now  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  Municipal  Court. 

vSince  the  abolishment  of  the  justice  of  the  peace  court, 
no  courts  are  held  in  Englewood  other  than  the  police 
court  at  64th  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue.  All  civil 
matters  being  taken  to  the  city,  necessitates  that  the  law- 
yers have  their  offices  near  the  various  places  of  holding- 
court  in  the  central  part  of  the  city. 

The  Physicians  of  Englewood 

The  physicians  of  Englewood  are  all  worthy  of  a 
chapter  of  their  own.  The  first  that  the  old  residents  will 
remember  is  Dr.  Chavette,  a  wonderful  old  French  scholar 
and  chemist  as  well  as  a  physician  who  administered  his 
own  remedies  and  even  now  many  of  his  formulae  are 
on  the  market  and  are  considered  invaluable  by  many. 

In  1872  we  had  Dr.  A.  H.  Champlin,  one  of  our  most 
public  spirited  citizens,  Dr.  J.  G.  Davis,  Dr.  fames  E. 
DeWolf,  Dr.  C.  D.  Fairbanks,  Dr.  E.  E.  Holman,  Dr. 
George  Dale,  Dr.  C.  H.  Lovewell,  Dr.  M.  j.  Lyman,  Dr. 
Wm.  C.  Westerfield  and  the  two  Dr.  Pierponts  (  Newton 
and    WTn.    C).      Dr.    Champlin    served    in    almost    every 

81 


S2 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


~~ 


S      <°       s 


PROFESSIONAL  MEN  OF  ENGLEWOOD  83 

public  capacity  in  the  community  and  was  one  of  the 
foremost  workers  for  the  betterment  of  the  little  town. 
Champlin  School  was  named  for  him.  He  lived  and  died 
at  61st  Street  and  Princeton  Avenue.  Dr.  Love  well,  a 
resident  of  Vermont,  was  one  of  our  most  patriotic  and 
public  spirited  citizens,  and  his  death  only  a  few  years 
ago,  left  a  void  that  will  be  difficult  to  fill.  His  son,  Dr. 
Charles  H.  Love  well,  Jr.,  who  served  through  the  World 
War  in  the  medical  corps,  is  still  connected  with  the 
U.  S.  Army  at  a  post  in  Texas. 

From  1875  to  1885  numerous  other  physicians  hung 
out  their  shingles  for  the  betterment  of  the  health  of 
Englewood  people.  Among  these  can  be  mentioned  Dr. 
M.  W.  Bacon,  Dr.  J.  F.  Foster,  Dr.  W.  J.  Arnold,  Dr.  J. 
F.  Greenleaf,  Dr.  G.  J.  Wilder,  who  located  originally  at 
63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue  and  is  still  practicing 
at  his  present  home,  341  Englewood  Avenue. 

From  1885  to  1890  there  was  another  influx  of  physi- 
cians. Drs.  A.  H.  Harris,  C.  Whitman  and  H.  E.  Whit- 
ford  came  here  in  1886.  In  1887  Drs.  Hunt,  E.  Z.  Bacon, 
Jos.  Reis  and  S.  F.  Hescott  came.  Dr.  Cora  Taylor  be- 
gan practice  here  in  1885  and  was  the  first  of  our  lady 
physicians.  Dr.  Karreman  came  here  in  the  early  '80s. 
He  was  murdered  in  his  home  on  Stewart  Avenue  in 
1921.  Dr.  O.  B.  Hay  den  came  in  about  the  '90s,  as  also 
did  Drs.  J.  S.  Beaudry,  F.  Don  Brix,  and  Henry  J.  Boet- 
tcher.  Dr.  B.  Einerson,  Dr.  John  J.  Driscoll,  Dr.  Kate 
Peckard,  Dr.  J.  P.  Webster,  Dr.  J.  Hagens,  Dr.  E.  W. 
Ruggles,  Dr.  J.  Meek  and  Dr.  S.  T.  Richmond  were  all 
here  at  World's  Fair  time.  Following  them  in  rapid  suc- 
cession was  Dr.  M.  D.  McNabb,  Dr.  M.  K.  McQuarrie 
and    Dr.   E.   A.   Taylor. 

Englewood  Contractors 
There  was  a  great  amount  of  building  in  Englewood 
in  the  '80's  when  there  was  a  great  influx  of  people  seek- 
ing homes  in  the  beautiful  suburb.  While  the  brick  con- 
struction was  confined  mostly  to  business  blocks,  the 
residences,  with  few  exceptions,  were  of  frame  and  more 
or  less  ornate  in  architecture.  Among  the  oldest  con- 
tractors and  builders  were  Brayton  Bushee,  Herman  Lucht, 
Joseph  Moss,  George  Scott  and  W.  O.  Budd,  who  is  still 


84 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


living"  and  is  one  of  our  largest  property  owners  and 
wealthiest  men.  Then  there  was  W.  W.  Webster,  who 
afterwards  sought  gold  amid  the  snows  of  the  Klondike, 
Charles  W.  Caldwell,  who  has  since  become  a  prominent 
builder  in  California,  Edward  Melville,  who  is  also  in  that 
sunny  clime,  E.  L.  Lord,  who  even  now  is  too  busy  to  stop 
work,  and  P.  G.  George,  who  passed  away  only  a  few 
years  ago. 

Elliott  W.  Sproul  and  J.  W.  Holmes  did  most  of  the 
brick  construction.  Mr.  Sproul  now  represents  this  third 
district  in  the   United  States  Congress. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   FIRE  DEPARTMENT 

IN  THE  early  days  of  Englewood  the  Rre  department 
consisted,  as  is  usual  in  small  villages,  of  a  bucket 
brigade,  and  was  seldom  called  into  action,  but  when  it 
was,  was  ably  assisted  by  the   women   folk. 

In  1882  a  paid  fire  department  took  the  place  of  the 
volunteers.  The  first  fire  commissioner  or  chief  was 
Frank  Becker.  In  1883  be  was  succeeded  by  F.  J. 
Sweenie.  All  apparatus  and  equipment  was  divided  and 
located  at  different  sections.  The  Hook  and  Ladder  Elose 
Company  No.  4  was  located  at  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth 
Avenue,  composed  of  three  men,  with  George  Byrne  lieu- 
tenant in  command.  This  department,  with  a  total  strength 
of  twenty-three  men,  including  the  officers,  made  a  good 
record  for  the  Town  of  Lake,  and  with  some  improve- 
ments and  additions  served  until  they  were  incorporated 
into  the  city  of  Chicago  in  1880.  At  the  period  of  annexa- 
tion, June  29,  1889,  the  fire  department  of  the  Town  of 
Lake  was  taken  into  the  city  department.  At  that  time 
it  consisted  of  eighty-three  uniformed  firemen.  Englewood 
had  Englewood  Company  No.  4,  with  a  Silsby  rotary  fire 
engine,  at  63rd  and  Wentworth,  with  a  strength  of  eight 
men.  At  8023  Vincennes  Road  Engine  Company  No.  7 
was  located,  with  a  LaFrance  rotary  steam  engine  and  a 
company  of  eight  men.  The  Hook  and  Ladder  Company 
No.  4  was  located  on  South  Normal  Parkway,  west  of 
Stewart  Avenue,  with  a  strength  of  four  men.  After  the 
death  of  Chief  Sweenie  George  Byrne  became  chief,  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  James  Tierney  as  chief  and  George 
T.  Folly  as  first  assistant.  From  the  date  of  annexation, 
1889,  to  this  date  the  Town  of  Lake  is  protected  by  the 
following :  Sixteen  steam  and  motor  engine  companies, 
three  hook  and  ladder  companies,  two  squads  and  three 
marshals.  In  case  of  aid  required,  these  could  and  would 
be  supported  by  adjoining  districts. 

By  Englewood  growth,  additional  apparatus  would  not 

85 


86  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

be  amiss  from  experience  after  twenty-eight  years  of  serv- 
ice in  this  growing  community. 

The  Chicago  Fire  Department  covers  200  square  miles ; 
roster,  2,200  firemen,  128  steam  and  motor  engine  com- 
panies, 37  horse  power,  10  squads,  6  marine  engines  and 
the  fire  advantages  the  best  in  the.  world.  Fire  alarm 
offices  located  in  city  hall  and  64th  Street  and  Went- 
vvorth  Avenue,  Englewood.  The  alarms  of  fire  during 
the  year  1920  received  in  the  city  was  20,691.  The 
37  horse  power  companies  are  100  per  cent  motor ;  80  per 
cent  of  128  engine  companies  will  be  motor  at  the  end  of 
1921.  At  this  date  (1922)  50  per  cent  of  Englewood  com- 
panies are  motor.  All  fire  marshals  are  equipped  with 
autos,  said  motorization  in  this  department  being  bene- 
ficial in  the  protection  of  the  outlying  and  distant  districts. 

Since  the  writing  of  the  above  there  has  been  a  great 
change  in  the  department  in  the  Englewood  district. 
All  of  the  horse  drawn  apparatus  has  been  replaced  by 
motors  and  the   entire  fire   department  motorized. 

A  Fire  Insurance  Patrol  company  has  been  added  to 
the  fire  protection  scheme,  and  is  located  at  6142  Peoria 
Street.  It  consists  of  a  fully  equipped  motor  truck  carry- 
ing tarpaulins  to  protect  goods  in  a  burning  building  from 
injury  by  water.  There  is  a  crew  of  eighteen  men  under 
command  of  Captain  William  Enright. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PARKS  AND  BOULEVARDS 

THE  park  and  boulevard  systems  of  Englewood  are 
included  under  that  of  the  South  Park  and  Boulevard 
system  which  was  organized  under  authority  of  an  act  of 
the  legislature  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  April  16,  1869. 
The  act  creating  the  park  board  gave  the  commissioners 
exclusive  control  over  all  the  land  selected  and  to  be 
acquired  for  parks  and  boulevards,  making  the  board  a 
separate  and  distinct  municipal  corporation  with  authority 
to  levy  taxes  and  make  rules  and  regulations  for  the  control 
of  the  territory  under  its  jurisdiction.  This  board  was 
entirely  independent  of  city  or  county  authority  and  had 
power  to  create  and  maintain  its  own  police  force  and  levy 
its  own  taxes.  The  five  commissioners  constituting  the 
board  were  appointed  by  the  circuit  judges  of  Cook  County 
for  a  term  of  five  years,  the  term  of  one  commissioner 
expiring  on  the  last  day  of  February  each  year. 

Englewood  received  very  little  benefit  in  the  first 
selection  of  territory,  as  that  of  Jackson  Park,  Midway 
Plaisance,  Washington  Park,  Grand,  Drexel  and  Oakwood 
Boulevards  were  the  first  property  taken  over.  Garfield 
Boulevard  and  Western  Avenue  followed,  and  with  Mar- 
quette Road  and  Normal  Boulevard  and  Loomis  Boulevard 
constitute  our  boulevard   system   of   today. 

The  great  fire  of  1871  destroyed  all  of  the  park  records, 
so  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  exact  date  of  the  opening  of 
each  park.  Actual  work  of  construction  was  delayed  by 
the  panic  of  73,  but  in  1876  Grand  and  Drexel  Boulevards 
in  Hyde  Park  were  practically  completed,  and  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  Washington  Park  was  made  available 
to  the  people,  and  grading  operations  were  commenced  in 
Jackson  Park.  Jackson  Park  and  the  Midway  Plaisance 
during  1892,  1893  and  1894  were  entirely  occupied  for  the 
purpose  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition.  The  occu- 
pancy of  Jackson  Park  necessitated  some  considerable 
destruction  of  large  areas  of  natural  tree  growth,  done  for 

87 


88  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

the  exposition,  which  later  has  been  entirely  rebuilt  and 
beautified. 

In  1904-1905  additional  park  territory  was  acquired 
in  which  14  new  parks  were  laid  out,  ranging'  from  7  acres 
to  320  acres  in  extent,  10  of  which  were  completely  im- 
proved and  ready  for  public  use  within  a  year  after  their 
acquirement,  8  of  these  with  a  total  acreage  of  531.67  in 
the  Town  of  Lake.  Three  parks,  namely,  Hamilton  Park 
with  30  acres,  Ogden  Park  with  61  acres,  Marquette  Park 
with  322  acres,  may  be  called  Englewood  Parks,  as  also 
Sherman  Park  abutting  Garfield  Boulevard  on  the  west, 
through  from  Racine  Avenue  to  Loomis  Boulevard. 

There  are  over  twelve  miles  of  boulevard  in  the  Engle- 
wood district,  ail  of  which  is  kept  in  most  excellent  repair, 
with  beautiful  scenic  surroundings.  In  passing  we  would 
say  that  for  the  public  service  under  the  Southwest  Park 
Board  jurisdiction  there  are  295  buildings  covering  an 
area  of  nearly  thirty  acres,  including  buildings  of  all  sorts, 
from  the  Art  Institute  in  Grant  Park  and  the  new  Field 
Museum  at  the  beginning  of  Roosevelt  Road,  and  15  held 
houses  for  the  free  use  of  the  public  for  physical  activities 
and  community  service.  The  conservatory  in  Washington 
Park,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  complete  in  the  world, 
furnishes  floral  decorations  for  the  entire  system.  They 
also  maintain  a  nursery  in  Marquette  Park,  35  acres  in 
extent,  and  it  supplies  practically  all  of  the  trees  and  shrubs 
required  for  the  maintenance  of  the  plantation  throughout 
the  parks,  which  plantation  covers  about  nine  hundred 
acres. 

Notable  among  the  buildings  are  the  Cahokia  court 
house,  a  one  room  building  15  by  20  feet,  built  of  upright 
timbers,  now  located  on  the  Wooded  Island  in  Jackson 
Park.  This  building  had  been  erected  in  Cahokia,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  about  1716,  as  the  first  court  house  in  Illinois, 
and  has  been  the  seat  of  justice  under  the  flags  of  France, 
England  and  the  United  States.  The  building  was  brought 
to  Chicago  and  erected  here  in   November,   1906. 

The  commissioners  operate  their  own  laundry  in  Wash- 
ington Park  for  laundering  towels,  bathing  suits  and  uni- 
forms used  in  the  service.  Incidentally  they  have  a  stock 
of    120,660  bathing  suits  and   163,713  towels.     The  water 


PARKS  AND  BOULEVARDS  89 

supply  for  the  larger  parks  is  pumped  by  the  commissioners 
from  the  city  tunnels.  Elsewhere  it  is  obtained  from  the 
city  mains. 

The  electrical  ground  for  the  lighting  of  the  parks  and 
boulevards  is  obtained  from  the  sanitary  district,  for  which 
they  have  a  contract  over  a  long  period  of  years  at  a  rate 
of  three-fourths  cents  per  kilowatt  hour.  The  number  of 
employees  required  for  the  maintenance  and  operation  of 
the  parks  and  boulevards  runs  from  900  men  and  85 
women  in  the  winter  to  1,500  men  and  125  women  in  the 
summer.     The  police  force  alone  numbers  217  men. 

Englewood  has  at  times  thought  it  was  getting  but  a 
small  share  of  the  South  Park  funds,  and  that  it  should 
have  been  awarded  more  boulevards  and  small  parks,  which 
has  caused  strenuous  action  of  different  neighborhoods,  and 
with  the  organization  of  the  new  South  Board  which  will 
occur  in  1924  it  is  hoped  that  several  more  parks  will  be 
located  in  Englewood  and  the  south  district.  The  last  park 
located  is  that  so  long  sought  for  by  the  Gresham  and 
Brainerd  Park  association,  and  late  in  1923  the  South  Park 
Board  purchased  a  twenty-nine  acre  tract  south  and  west  of 
83rd  and  Loomis  Streets,  and  work  is  now  in  progress, 
clearing  and  preparing  it  for  the  park  improvements. 

Another  late  addition  to  our  boulevards  is  that  of 
Loomis  Street,  which  heretofore  had  only  been  boulevarded 
from  Garheld  Boulevard  to  Marquette  Road  (67th  Street) 
and  the  South  Park  Board,  first  having  the  title  to  the 
street  cleared  by  the  City  Council,  have  made  Loomis 
Street  a  boulevard  to  87th  Street,  thus  making  a  perfect 
boulevard  drive  connecting  all  of  the  parks  located  on  the 
South  Side. 

Another  late  measure  that  means  much  for  the  beautify- 
ing of  Jackson  Park  is  the  determination  to  restore  the 
World's  Fair  Fine  Arts  building,  later  occupied  by  the 
Field's  Columbian  Museum,  and  work  will  soon  be  begun 
to  recover  this  wonderful  specimen  of  pure  architecture 
with  a  newly  invented  cement  or  plaster  which  is  said  to  be 
as  durable  as  marble.  The  interior  is  also  to  be  repaired 
and  the  beautiful  large  halls  and  corridors  will  be  restored 
for  various  purposes. 

Marquette  Park  is  being  completed   (1923)   and  will  be 


90  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

one  of  the  prettiest  in  the  group.  The  lagoons  are  being 
excavated  and  thousands  of  trees  transplanted  from  the 
South  Park  nurseries,  and  the  splendid  golf  links  improved 
and  rebuilt. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  in  order  to  state  that 
Western  Avenue,  boulevarded '  to  Garfield  Boulevard  (55th 
Street),  has  been  paved  and  widened  through  to  111th 
Street,  making  it  a  double  track  driveway  with  street  rail- 
way tracks  in  the  center,  passing  the  beautiful  Forest 
Preserve  at  Beverly  Hills,  connecting  with  87th  Street,  and 
also  south  to  Blue  Island  and  the  Dixie  Highway. 

The  present  commissioners  of  the  South  Park  Board 
are  John  Barton  Payne,  C.  L.  Hutchinson,  L.  B.  Patterson, 
John  Bain  and  B.  E.  Sunny.  Air.  Bain  is  the  only  Engle- 
wood  representative.  He  is  ever  ready  and  willing  to 
serve  the  best  interests  of  Englewood  and  many  of  our  late 
improvements  are  due  to  his  patriotic  efforts. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  SOLDIERS  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

WHILE  most  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Englewood 
were  men  who  participated  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  and  all  were  patriotic  to  a  degree,  owing  to  this 
section  being  so  sparsely  settled  as  compared  with  its 
present  population,  those  of  its  citizens  who  enlisted  in  the 
service  were  credited  to  Chicago,  but  among  later  arrivals 
were  so  many  soldiers  that  they  decided  to  form  a  soldier's 
organization,  and  on  February  16,  1880,  with  twenty-five 
members,  they  organized  the  Union  Veteran  Club.  The 
President  was  J.  T.  Foster;  Vice  President,  Edward  Cecil; 
Secretary,  C.  E.  Husted ;  Treasurer,  Alonzo  Miller ;  Mar- 
shal, C.  W.  Stinson;  Trustees,  C.  A.  Ensign,  Peter  Car- 
penter and  C.  S.  Hunt. 

Early  in  1881  they  began  agitating  for  a  Soldier's 
Memorial  Hall  and  the  Soldier's  Memorial  Association, 
composed  of  ex-soldiers  and  citizens,  was  organized  and 
incorporated,  the  object  of  which  was  "The  preservation 
of  the  memory  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors  who  gave  their 
lives  for  their  country  in  the  late  Civil  War,  the  strength- 
ening of  the  social  ties  that  bind  together  the  veteran 
survivors  of  that  struggle,  and  keeping  alive  the  spirit  of 
patriotism  in  the  community." 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1881,  the  cornerstone  of  the  build- 
ing was  laid  with  proper  ceremonies  and  the  edifice  was 
completed  the  following  summer.  The  location  was  on 
63rd  Street  about  one  hundred  feet  east  of  Princeton 
Avenue.  This  property  is  now  occupied  by  the  C.  H. 
Schurman  Building.  Later  this  organization  was  merged 
into  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  May,  1884,  and 
became  the  George  G.  Meade  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  No.  444, 
and  when  the  elevated  railroad  was  built  through  Engle- 
wood its  property  was  purchased  for  right  of  way  and 
with  that  sum  the  new  Memorial  Hall  was  built  at  6236 
Princeton  Avenue  and  is  now  occupied  for  purely  pat- 
riotic purposes  by  many  of  our  local  patriotic  organiza- 
tions, including   Meade   Post,   G.   A.   R.,   Woman's   Relief 

91 


92  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Corps,  Sons  of  Veterans,  Daughters  of  Veterans,  United 
States  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  and  the  American 
Legion. 

George  G.  Meade  Post  No.  444  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  was  chartered  May  2,  1884,  with  the  follow- 
ing 45  members :  C.  W.  Stinson  was  the  first  commander, 
the  roster  was  as  follows : 

C.  W.  Stinson,  Commander ;  J.  H.  Cook,  J.  S.  Moore, 
T.  P.  Mulcahy,  J.  E.  DeWolf,  J.  Taylor,  M.  G.  Murphy, 

F.  Tieman,  M.  Eisele,  J.  Kribell,  F.  A.  Mulcahy,  G.  W. 
Antis,  W.  Alexander,  G.  W.  Bancroft,  D.  Bricker,  A.  M. 
Bristol,  F.  W.  Coombs,  J.  W.  Clark,  A.  Carr,  C.  H.  Davis, 
D.  Dailey,  J.  F.  Davis,  R.  Danforth,  V.  H.  Hunt,  G. 
Hampson,  D.  Hickman,  J.  F.  Jackson,  L.  J.  Kummell, 
B.   F.   Lowrv,   W.    T-   Mott,   W.   McKirchy,   D.    McGrady, 

G.  W.  McDonald,  W.  McGrady,  D.  Palmer,  C.  H.  Pierce, 
J.  Schofield,  D.  Sullivan,  E.  R.  Strang,  J.  B.  Tapley, 
H.  H.  Temple,  S.  D.  Underwood,  J.  Ward,  G.  H.  Weston 
and  R.  J.  Murphy. 

L.  T.  Dickerson  was  the  Department  Commander  of 
Illinois ;  J.  L.  Bennett,  Assistant  Adjutant  General. 

George  G.  Meade  Post  soon  became  one  of  the  best 
known  in  the  county  and  afterwards  in  the  city.  Its 
membership  increased  until,  at  one  time,  the  roster  rolls 
showed  the  names  of  720  veteran  soldiers  and  sailors  who 
had  seen  action  and  acquitted  themselves  with  glory  in 
the  Union  Army  and  Navy  in  the  dark  days  of  the  War 
of  the  Rebellion.  While  the  membership  was  recruited 
from  time  to  time  by  new  arrivals,  the  Grim  Destroyer 
called  many  of  the  old  members  to  their  final  reward. 

"On  fame's  eternal  camping  ground  their  silent  tents  are  spread, 
While  victory  guards  with  gory  shroud,  the  bivouac  of  the  dead." 

The  membership  has  naturally  decreased  greatly  in 
the  last  score  of  years  and  instead  of  the  martial  array  of 
nearly  a  full  regiment,  when  they  are  called  to  parade 
but  a  scanty  number  answers  to  the  roll.  Their  jaunty, 
military  step  has  given  place  to  a  more  solemn  tread,  but 
their  kind  old  eyes  sparkle  as  brightly  when  following  the 
idol  of  their  devotion,  "Old  Glory,"  as  when  they  so 
gallantly  followed  that  clear  standard  into  battle  more  than 
half  a  century  ago. 

The    roster    of    the    Meade    Post    at    the    present    time 


SOLDIERS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  93 

(1922)  consists  of  the  following  78  members: 

M.  A.  Ambrose,  Wm.  H.  Ambrose,  Edgar  C.  Avery, 
Cornelius  Baker,  James  Baynes,  Levy  L.  Blackus,  Michael 
Begley,  Wm.  E.  Beiderman,  M.  E.  Blair,  James  C.  Cahill, 
James  H.  Campbell,  Charles  W.  Carr,  Vincent  Caroll, 
Thomas  H.  Carter,  Daniel  Clifford,  A.  S.  Cobb,  Henry 
Cossum,  J.  C.  Dennison,  Wm.  M.  DeHart,  Wm.  E. 
Eakins,  Valentine  Eckert,  George  S.  Eddy,  Thomas  S. 
Gardner,  Antone  Giroux,  Oliver  N.  Goldsmith,  John  C. 
Gray,  S.  L.  Gregg,  Jacob  Gossen,  Charles  Hallett,  W.  S. 
Hall,  John  M.  Johnson,  Lysander  Johnson,  Thomas  W. 
Kirk,  John  LaRoche,  W.  H.  Lewis,  Exym.  T.  Lewis, 
Wm.  E.  Lindsay,  A.  W.  McCornack,  James  McDonald, 
James  E.  Meek,  James  D.  Miller,  Richard  J.  Murphy, 
Gideon  Morrisette,  L.  A.  Patterson,  Stephen  A.  Payton, 
John  W.  Powely,  Levi  T.  .Regan,  Frank  J.  Rehyner, 
Walter  F.  Sargeant,  H.  E.  Sawtell,  Charles  E.  Schmidlapp, 
John  Schofield,  H.  F.  Smiley,  Charles  Smith,  Griswold 
St.  Clair,  John  N.  Stewart,  Fred  Thomas,  Wm.  F.  Thom- 
son, Charles  E.  Tibbies,  Theo.  H.  Todd,  John  T.  Vance, 
John  E.  Vreeland,  Fred  L.  Wagner,  E.  S.  Walton,  V.  A. 
Welton,  A.  L.  Whitehall,  Theron  Wooley,  James  W. 
Yates. 

Soldiers  of  the  World  War 

No  part  of  the  great  city  of  Chicago,  or  in  fact  of  the 
United  States,  evidenced  its  spirit  of  patriotism  and  love 
of  country  more  than  did  the  people  of  Englewood.  Long- 
before  the  actual  declaration  of  war  with  Germany,  many 
of  our  young  men  had  gone  to  Canada,  England  and 
France  to  join  the  Allies'  armies.  As  soon  as  President 
Wilson  had  declared  the  Lmited  States  in  a  state  of  war 
with  Germany,  volunteers  rushed  forth  from  every  neigh- 
borhood and  scarce  a  block  in  Englewood  but  sent  its 
squad  of  brave  young  men  to  fight  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  for  American  ideas  and  principles  on  foreign 
fields.  When  the  draft  came,  Englewood  had  few 
''slackers"  and  the  boys  went  as  cheerfully  to  camp  and 
field  as  they  would  have  to  a  summer  vacation.  In  an- 
other part  of  this  volume  the  exact  number  of  soldiers 
who  were  sent  from  this  district  will  be  found. 

After    the    armistice,    when    "Johnny    came    marching 


94  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

home  again/'  the  boys  did  not  feel  that  the  friendships 
formed  while  in  the  service  of  their  country  should  be 
terminated.  Hence,  several  soldier  organizations  were 
formed.  Prominent  among  them  were  the  American 
Legion  and  the  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  of  the  United 
States,  both  of  which  are  well  represented  here. 
American  Legion 

Englewood  Post  No.  61,  American  Legion,  was  organ- 
ized September  2,  1919,  with  44  charter  members.  It  has 
increased  its  membership  to  75  and  has  brilliant  prospects 
for  a  much  larger  membership  and  the  possibility  of  ac- 
complishing a  great  amount  of  good  for  the  organization. 

The  officers  in  1922  were :  Commander,  William  E. 
Helander;  Vice  Commander,  Harry  Cullett;  Finance  Offi- 
cer, N.  J.  Elzinger;  Recording  Adjutant,  F.  Elzinger; 
Corresponding  Adjutant,  Dr.  David  Gordon;  Sergeant-at- 
Arms,   Claude  H.  Keerans. 

Daughters  of  Veterans 

Martha  Ammen  No.  20,  Daughters  of  Veterans  of 
the  Civil  War,  was  organized  and  instituted  by  Mrs.  F. 
.Mice  Ammen,  Department  President,  April  29,  1911.  The 
first  president  was  Efffe  M.  Brown.  The  Tent  has  kept 
up  its  organization  ever  since  and  has  accomplished  a 
great  amount  of  good  among  the  old  soldiers,  their  wives 
and  families.  The  officers  in  1922  were :  President, 
Mrs.  Florence  Von  Thaden ;  Senior  Vice  President,  Mrs. 
Mattie  Loser;  Junior  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Estella  B. 
Nyman ;  Chaplain,  Mrs.  Josephine  Heath ;  Treasurer,  Mrs. 
F.  Alice  Ammen;  Council  Member  No.  1,  Mrs.  Lettie 
Hill ;  Council  Member  No.  2,  Miss  Laura  Lewis ;  Council 
Member  No.  3,  Mrs.  Ella  B.  MacNeal;  Patriotic  Instruc- 
tor, Mrs.  Hattie  Hitchler;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Lena  Yandel; 
Guide,  Mrs.  Florence  St.  Clair. ;  Press  Correspondent, 
Mrs.  Ella  McMahon;  Guard,  Mrs.  Clara  Hazlett;  Assist- 
ant Guard,  Mrs.  Angeline  Moore;  Musician,  Mrs.  Helen 
McCauley;  First  Color  Bearer,  Mrs.  Anna  Brown;  Second 
Color  Bearer,  Mrs.  Florence  Roovart;  Third  Color  Bearer, 
Mrs.  Harriet  Frazier;  Fourth  Color  Bearer,  Mrs.  Bertha 
Hussey.  Martha  Ammen  Tent  meets  every  second  and 
fourth  Wednesday  afternoon  at  2  o'clock  at  G.  A.  R. 
Memorial  Hall,  6236   Princeton  Avenue. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

POSTOFFICE 

THE  first  postoffice  at  Englewood  was  kept  in  the  dummy 
house  of  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad,  at  63rd  Street. 
Carl  Dunn,  who  was  the  first  conductor  of  the  dummy 
train,  was  also  the  postmaster  and  letter  carrier.  Later 
Mr.  Dunn  was  promoted  by  the  company  to  the  conductor- 
ship  of  a  through  train,  making  it  necessary  that  he  resign 
his  position  as  postmaster  .  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  N.  S. 
Clark,  who  died  in  1866,  and  his  wife  took  charge  and 
conducted  it  until  April,  1872,  when  W.  N.  Smith  was 
commissioned  postmaster. 

Englewood   Postoffice 

The  postmasters  who  served  in  Englewood  since  1886 
were:  W.  N.  Smith,  Oliver  Goldsmith  (who  installed  the 
first  regular  letter  carriers  May  1,  1888),  Col.  C.  W. 
Battey,  and  after  the  postoffice  became  a  station  of  the 
Englewood  postoffice  Col.  C.  W.  Carr  was  made  the  first 
superintendent.  He  was  followed  by  John  E.  Vreeland, 
and  he  by  Fred  A.  Bosworth,  the  present  very  efficient, 
gentlemanly  superintendent  of  the  postal  station  at  447 
and  449  W.  63rd  Street. 

The  first  letter  carriers  appointed  were :  Joe  Fagan, 
John  E.  Hammond,  Charles  O'Neill,  Peter  Egan,  Fred  W. 
Wilkinson  and  George  W.  Danforth,  collector.  Jay  M. 
Luff  was  the  seventh  appointed  and  is  still  in  service,  hav- 
ing taken  the  position  of  one  of  the  original  six  who 
resigned. 

Fred  W.  Bristol  was  the  first  superintendent  of  car- 
riers. The  Englewood  postal  station  now  serves  a  popu- 
lation of  over  200,000  and  its  boundaries  are  55th  Street 
(Garfield  Boulevard)  on  the  north,  75th  Street  on  the 
south,  State  Street  on  the  east  and  Racine  Avenue  on  the 
west.. 

There  are  in  service  65  carriers  and  ten  collectors,  as 
well  as  a  staff  of  15  clerks,  and  in  passing  we  might  say 
that  the  service  of  the  Englewood  postoffice  has  always 
been  good,  but  at  no  time  more  efficient  than  at  present, 

95 


96 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


s         §0.2 

w-3-S  S  O  S  w 


CHAPTER  XVII 

NEWSPAPERS  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Weekly  Sun 

THE  first  newspaper  of  any  local  character  which  was 
circulated  in  Englewood  was  the  Weekly  Sun,  estab- 
lished by  Harvey  L.  Goodall  at  the  Stock  Yards  in  1869. 
As  a  great  number  of  Englewood  people  who  were 
employed  and  did  business  at  the  Yards,  an  Englewood 
department  was  incorporated  in  it.  The  Sun  was  made  a 
daily  in  1883  and  supplied  the  demand  for  news  in  Engle- 
wood as  well  as  the  Town  of  Lake.  It  continued  as  a 
daily  until  about  1910,  and  was  then  taken  over  by  Frank 
C.  Hanna,  who,  a  year  later,  transferred  it  to  the  Engle- 
wood Times. 

The  Englewood  Eve 

The  Englewood  Eye  was  founded  March  1,  1878,  by 
F.  E.  Tousley  and  J.  C.  Dennison,  W.  H.  Tousley  joining 
them  in  1880.  It  was  a  bright,  well  edited,  newsy  journal. 
After  the  death  of  F.  E.  Tousley,  his  widow,  Mrs.  Mae 
Tousley,  with  W.  H.  Tousley,  conducted  the  paper,  and 
their  uncle,  Myron  H.  Tousley,  a  very  scholarly  old 
gentleman,  acted  as  editor.  The  ill  health  of  W.  H. 
Tousley  compelled  them  to  part  with  the  paper  to  Indiana 
people,  who  were  not  congenial  to  Englewood  interests. 
Later  W.  LI.  Baker  bought  the  plant  and  his  younger 
brother  operated  it  for  about  a  year,  when  financial  disabil- 
ities, coupled  with  a  failure  to  amalgamate  with  Englewood 
ideas,  compelled  the  discontinuance  of  the  paper. 

Dickens  Review 

Back  in  1880  Frank  D.  Blish  published  the  Dickens 
Review,  which  was  the  offshoot  of  the  Dickens  Club,  a 
dramatic  and  literary  association,  but  it  was  of  short  life. 
Later,  Frank  M.  Smith  published  the  Weekly  Call  and 
Scribe,  which  ran  upon  financial  rocks  about  1893  and  was 
wrecked. 

97 


98  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

The  Call 
John  Ustick  and  Charles  H.  Dingman,  with  the  financial 
assistance  of  James  H.  Mallette,  for  several  years  published 
a  small  daily  known  as  The  Call.  The  daily  field  of  Engle- 
wood  did  not  support  it.  Myron  H.  Tousley,  after  the 
sale  of  The  Eye,  printed  for  several  years  a  small  6  by  9 
four  page  paper,  which  he  called  The  Rambler.  It  was 
bright  and  spicy  and  voiced  many  of  the  peculiar  ideas  of 
the  good  old  veteran,  but  died  with  him  in  1914. 

Englewood  News 
James  J.  Talcott  started  the  publication  of  the  Engle- 
wood High  School  News  and,  meeting  with  success,  made 
it  the  Englewood  News.  Bringing  to  his  assistance  Wil- 
liam W.  Talcott,  they  for  many  years  published  a  bright, 
sparkling,  newsy  local  sheet.  James  Talcott  withdrew 
from  the  firm  to  go  into  business  for  himself  elsewhere 
and  Will  sold  the  News  to  the  McFarland  brothers,  who 
discontinued  it  in  less  than  a  year. 

The  Englewood  Times 
The  Englewood  Times,  published  by  G.  E.  Sullivan, 
was  founded  in  1888  while  Mr.  Sullivan  was  reporter  on 
a  city  paper.  With  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Col.  Crane 
and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Alonzo  H.  Brinkman,  he  published  it 
in  conjunction  with  the  Auburn  Park  Monitor  and  South 
Englewood  Mirror.  His  contract  with  the  city  paper  ex- 
piring at  the  close  of  the  World's  Fair,  he  has  since 
devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the  publication  of  The 
Times,  which  is  now  the  only  paid  circulation  paper  in  the 
Englewood  district,  or,  in  fact,  the  southwest  part  of  the 
city.  The  Times  absorbed  at  different  times  a  number  of 
other  papers,  but  has  remained  continuously  under  the 
same  management  and  publisher  since  its  founding,  and  is 
now  the  oldest  suburban  paper  in  Chicago.  Mr.  P.  F.  Lods 
and  Mr.  Charles  Buchthal  are  now  associated  with  the 
business  management,  and  the  name  changed  to  Sullivan's 
Englewood   Times. 

The  Englewood  Economist 
The  Englewood  Economist  was  the  first   free  distribu- 
tion advertising  sheet  started  in  Chicago.     W.  W.  Talcott, 


NEWSPAPERS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  99 

who  with  his  brother,  Jim,  had  been  conducting  the  Engle- 
wood  News,  started  it  in  September  of  1906.  They  pub- 
lished it  every  week  until  Christmas,  then  only  every 
second  week  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1918  Mr.  Talcott 
sold  the  Economist  to  John  E.  Foster  and  William  H. 
McDonnell,  who  also  bought  the  Commercial  Press,  owned 
by  the  Talcotts,  and  have  since  conducted  the  Economist. 

The  Economist,  by  special  industry  and  individual 
effort,  has  grown  to  be  the  most  successful  free  distribu- 
tion paper  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  the  publishing  house 
of  Foster  &  McDonnell  one  of  the  largest  and  most  com- 
plete on  the  south  side.  This  firm,  together  with  the 
Englewood  Typesetting  Company,  has  built  a  large  printing 
plant  at  65th  Street  and  Emerald  Avenue,  100  by  125  feet 
in  dimensions,  containing  the  most  up  to  date  publishing- 
house  in  the  city. 

The  Englewood  Typesetting  Company,  Starr  M.  Miner 
and  Palmer  M.  Miner  proprietors,  occupies  quarters  in  the 
new  building,  as  does  also  the  Englewood  Times. 

The  Auburn  Park  Booster  is  the  offshoot  of  the  Engle- 
wood Economist,  and  is  published  for  circulation  in  Auburn 
Park,  with  free  distribution. 

The  Merchants  Telegram,  originally  started  by  J.  H. 
Sharp,  was  purchased  by  Foster  &  McDonnell  in  1920, 
and  has  greatly  improved  since. 

The  Englewood  Chronicle 
The  Englewood  Chronicle  was  started  and  the  first 
publication  made  on  September  1,  1915,  by  E.  C.  Malm- 
borg  and  E.  G.  Samuelson,  at  6628  S.  Flalsted  Street.  The 
Chronicle  was  almost  immediately  taken  over  by  Phillip 
Sissman,  who  has  since  continued  the  publication,  and  it 
has  grown  to  be  one  of  the  leading  free  distribution  sheets 
of  the  neighborhood. 

The  South  Side  News 
This  free  distribution  paper  was  published  first  as  the 
Englewood  News  on  November  17,  1922,  and  the  name 
was  later  changed  to  the  South  Side  News.  Charles  M. 
Butler  was  the  founder  and  is  the  managing  editor  and 
proprietor ;  Edgar  T.  Wheelock  is  editor  and  Eugenia  T. 
Gififin  the  news  editor. 


100 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


S  o  ^  ■"  ^ 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  IN   ENGLEWOOD 

IN  WRITING  a  history  of  the  Public  Library  in  Engle- 
wood,  we  must  turn  back  to  January  of  the  year  1800, 
when  the  first  delivery  station  was  established.  This  was 
merely  a  service  whereby  the  residents  of  Englewood  could 
secure  books  from  the  main  library  by  leaving-  their  cards 
and  lists  at  this  station.  There  were  no  books  there,  and 
it  took  several  days  to  obtain  one  from  the  city  library. 

This  station  occupied  a  space  in  the  dry  goods  store  of 
Mr.  L.  E.  DeGarmo,  situated  at  2>5?>  W.  63rd  Street,  near 
Wentworth  Avenue.  About  three  years  later  the  station 
was  moved  several  doors  west,  to  a  book  and  stationery 
store,  whose  proprietress  was  Airs.  Clara  F.  Neeves,  gentle- 
woman, a  lady  who  will  be  held  in  kindly  remembrance  by 
many  of  us,  and  who  successfully  managed  the  library 
station  for  many  years. 

Some  time  later  Mrs.  Neeves  moved  to  a  store  at  443 
W.  63rd  Street,  near  Normal  Boulevard.  The  library 
station  remained  here  until  1911,  when  it  was  discontinued 
at  the  time  the  Kelly  Branch  was  opened  in  June  of  that 
year. 

Englewood  is  very  fortunate  in  having  such  a  splendid 
library,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city,  and  it  is  largely  due 
to  the  efforts  of  one  man,  Mr.  Robert  J.  Roulston,  that  it 
was  built  in  this  section  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Roulston  was  a  member  of  the  library  board  from 
1905  to  1913,  and  its  president  for  the  last  four  years  of 
that  period,  his  resignation  being  necessitated  by  his 
appointment  to  the   Board  of   Education. 

During  his  administration  the  progress  and  extension 
of  the  library  service  was  very  great,  and  the  use  of  the 
library  by  the  public  almost  doubled.  In  recalling  the 
results  of  this  expansion  the  people  of  Englewood  will 
always  remember  with  gratitude  that  the  one  most  impor- 
tant to  them  was  the  erection  of  the  Lliram  Kelly  Branch. 

The  Hiram  Kelly  Branch  of  the  Chicago  Public  Library 

101 


102  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

was  opened  to  the  public  June  24,  1911,  and  was  the  first 
branch  library  building"  erected  by  the  board   of   directors, 

Accumulated  income  for  a  gift  of  $200,000  received  as 
a  bequest  from  the  late  Hiram  Kelly,  a  south  side  merchant, 
enabled  the  library  board  to  establish  this  branch,  and  to 
maintain  it  without  one  cent  of  expense  to  the  taxpayers 
of  the  city,  either  for  books  or  salary  of  the  staff. 

The  advantageous  site  at  the  corner  of  62nd  Street  and 
Normal  Boulevard  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $14,750, 
and  the  building,  complete  with  furniture  and  fixtures,  cost 
$58,000.  The  collection  of  books  contained  about  ten 
thousand  volumes  when  the  library  opened,  but  has  almost 
doubled  since  that  time,  and  the  yearly  home  use  of  books 
has  increased  from  146,000  in  1912  to  220,000  at  the 
present  time. 

The  first  librarian  was  Miss  Mary  P.  Wilde,  who  was 
succeeded  about  a  year  later  by  Miss  Adah  Whitcomb.  In 
1917  Miss  Whitcomb  was  transferred  to  the  main  library 
to  have  charge  of  the  training  class,  and  Miss  Minnie  S. 
Clark,  the  present  librarian,  was  appointed.  Miss  Clark 
has  lived  in  Englewood  all  her  life  and  is  a  graduate  of 
Englewood  High  School,  as  are  most  of  the  young  ladies 
on  the  staff. 

The  library  has  always  aimed  to  be  one  of  the  important 
activities  of  the  community.  The  children  are  provided 
with  an  exceptionally  attractive  children's  room,  equipped 
with  a  splendid  collection  of  juvenile  books.  The  work  of 
cooperation  with  the  schools  has  assumed  large  proportions, 
and  a  great  deal  of  reference  work  is  done  by  the  children 
at  the  library,  where  competent  assistants  are  always  ready 
to  aid  the  children  in  their  work.  Story  hours  are  held 
twice  a  week  and  hundreds  of  Englewood  children  are  both 
entertained  and  instructed.  The  adult  reference  collection 
is  unusually  strong  and  is  constantly  in  use,  both  by  high 
school  and  university  students  and  the  general  public. 

The  assembly  hall  and  club  rooms  are  free  to  any  club 
or  organization  for  the  use  of  meetings  or  lectures  and 
every  effort  is  made  to  make  the  facilities  freely  con- 
venient to  the  people  and  we  can  honestly  feel  that  the 
library  has  become  a  very  necessary  and  active  force  in  the 
community  life  of  Englewood. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    COMING    OF    THE    ELEVATED    RAILROAD 

ADEQUATE  local  transportation  facilities  are  essential 
to  the  growth  and  development  of  a  community. 
Nowhere  is  the  truth  of  that  statement  better  illustrated 
than  in  the  case  of  Englewood.  What  is  now  a  thickly 
settled  business  and  residential  section  of  the  city  was 
largely  a  vacant  prairie  less  than  thirty  years  ago,  and 
the  transformation  that  has  been  wrought  in  that  com- 
paratively short  time  is  closely  connected  with  the  con- 
struction and  development  of  the  Englewood  branch  of 
the  elevated  railroads. 

Before  the  advent  of  the  elevated  railroads,  a  large 
tract  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  terminal  at 
Loomis  and  63rd  streets,  known  as  the  Hetty  Green  prop- 
erty, was  vacant,  and  not  infrequently  under  water.  It 
did  not  offer  an  inviting  appearance  to  the  prospective 
homeseeker.  Today  it  is  covered  with  good  residences, 
substantial  stores  and  offices.  The  convenient  rapid  transit 
on  the  elevated  is  in  great  measure  responsible  for  this 
growth. 

Service  on  the  elevated  has  kept  pace  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  community.  When  the  rapid  transit  line  to 
Englewood  first  began  operation,  the  service  was  far  less 
convenient  than  it  is  today.  For  the  first  few  years  it 
consisted  of  a  shuttle  service  to  58th  Street,  passengers 
being  required  to  transfer  to  trains  on  the  main  line.  All 
that  was  done  away  with  as  the  territory  built  up  and  the 
traffic  grew,  so  that  for  more  than  ten  years  the  people  of 
Englewood  have  had  rapid  transit  service  direct  down 
town.  The  benefit  which  this  has  been  to  the  community 
can  hardly  be  overestimated. 

The  first  section  of  the  Englewood  elevated  opened  for 
traffic  as  far  as  to  State  Street,  in  November,  1905.  It 
gradually  extended  to  Wentworth  Avenue  in  December, 
1905,  and  to  Princeton  Avenue  in  January,  1906.  By 
November,  1906,  the  line  had  been  extended  to  Harvard 
Avenue  and  the  Englewood  express  service  started.     The 

103 


104  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Parnell  and  Halsted  stations  were  opened  in  December, 
1906,  and  by  February,  1907,  the  line  had  been  extended 
to  Center,  now  Racine  Avenue,  and  to  its  present  ter- 
minal at  Loomis  Street,  in  July,  1907.  The  Normal  Park 
line  was  built  and  opened  for  traffic  in  May,  1907. 

When  the  Chicago  Elevated  Railroads  were  brought 
together  for  operating  purposes  and  placed  under  the 
single  management  of  Britton  I.  Budd,  in  1911,  immediate 
steps  were  taken  to  improve  the  service  on  the  Englewood 
branch.  The  shuttle  service  between  58th  Street  and  the 
Normal  Park  and  Loomis  terminals,  was  abandoned  en- 
tirely and  the  people  of  Englewood  were  placed  on  an 
equal  footing  with  the  people  of  Woodlawn,  by  being 
given  a  direct  service  down  town  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night. 

In  1913  through-routing  of  trains  between  the  South 
Side  and  the  Northwestern  Elevated  was  made  effective 
and  the  Englewood  and  Wil§on  Avenue  express  trains 
were  hooked  up,  so  that  the  people  of  Englewood  have 
enjoyed,  since  that  time,  a  direct  through  service  to 
Wilson  Avenue  on  the  North  Side,  without  a  change  of 
cars.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  also,  that  this  extension 
of  service  was  put  into  effect  by  the  elevated  railroads 
without  any  additional  charge  to  passengers,  as  before 
that  time,  a  passenger  desiring  to  transfer  from  one  side 
of  the  city  to  another  was  required  to  pay  an  additional 
fare.  Today  a  passenger  can  ride  on  the  rapid  transit 
line  from  any  point  on  the  system  to  any  other  point 
within  the  city  for  a  single  fare. 

Englewood  is  given  a  rapid  transit  service  on  the  ele- 
vated that  is  fast  and  reliable  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and 
night  and  in  all  seasons  of  the  year.  The  running  time  of 
elevated  trains  from  Loomis  Street  to  the  loop,  a  distance 
of  9.4  miles,  is  30  minutes. 

The  effect  of  rapid  transportation  on  population  is 
shown  in  the  case  of  the  elevated  railroads,  not  only  in 
Englewood,  but  on  the  whole  South  Side  of  the  city. 
When  the  main  line  of  the  South  Side  elevated  opened  for 
traffic  in  1893,  the  population  within  a  half  mile  on  either 
side  of  the  road  was  93,374.  In  1920  the  population 
within  the   same   area   had   grown   to   420,716.      With   the 


THE  ELEVATED  RAILROAD  105 

increase  in  population  came  the  enormous  increase  in  land 
values  along  the  route  of  the  elevated  railroads.  Take 
the  case  of  the  vicinity  of  63rd  and  Halsted  streets.  In 
1893,  when  the  first  elevated  railroad  opened  on  the  South 
Side,  vacant  property  in  that  vicinity  could  be  obtained  for 
a  price  of  $40.00  a  front  foot.  The  same  land  today  is 
worth  about  $1,750  a  front  foot.  This  increased  value  is 
due  almost  entirely  to  the  local  transportation  facilities, 
which  have  made  the  territory  readily  and  easily  accessible 
to  other  thickly  settled  sections  of  the  city. 

The  increase  which  is  seen  in  real  estate  values  has 
benefited  the  entire  community,  as  well  as  the  individual 
owners  of  property.  It  has  added  millions  of  dollars  to 
taxable  property  within  the  city,  making  possible  the 
public  improvement  and  conveniences  which  the  people 
enjoy  today. 

It  would  be  well  for  the  average  citizen  to  think  over 
the  facts  when  he  hears  demagogical  attacks  upon  our 
local  transportation  companies  and  upon  other  public  utili- 
ties. These  utilities  are  absolutely  essential  to  the  people, 
and  as  a  matter  of  good  public  policy  they  should  be 
fostered  and  encouraged,  instead  of  being  hampered  by 
unreasonable   restrictions. 


106 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


Englewood  Baptist   Church,  Corner  Englewood  and  Stewart  Aves. 


Fourth  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,   Cor.  Marquette  Rd.   and  Harvard  Ave. 


CHAPTER  XX 

CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Organization  of  First  M.  E.  Church 
By  James  Hill 

IN  THE  years  1856  and  1857,  while  pastor  of  Wesley 
Chapel,  now  Meridian  Street  Church,  Indianapolis,  I  was 
called  upon  about  midnight  one  night  to  visit  Dr.  George 
W.  Miller,  then  a  practicing  physician  of  that  city,  who 
was  thought  to  be  dying.  When  I  arrived  he  was  resting 
more  easily,  with  one  of  the  leading  physicians  sitting- 
close  to  him  at  his  bedside. 

At  his  request  I  took  his  name  for  admission  on  proba- 
tion in  the  M.  E.  Church.  He  gradually  recovered.  In 
1873  I  took  a  supernumerary  relation  to  my  conference 
and  came  to  Chicago  with  my  family  to  spend  a  year.  In 
the  meantime  Dr.  Miller  had  moved  to  Chicago,  and  in  an 
interview  I  enjoyed  with  him  in  November  he  invited 
me  as  a  friend  to  come  with  him  and  see  some  acre  prop- 
erty he  had  in  Englewood. 

Not  arranging  on  which  road  to  come,  he  came  on  the 
Fort  Wayne  Railroad  and  I  on  the  Rock  Island,  arriving 
about  one  o'clock  P.  M.,  he  at  one  depot  and  I  at  the 
other.  We  failed  to  meet  or  see  each  other.  There 
being  no  train  on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  returning  to 
the  city  till  four  o'clock,  or  after,  I  spent  about  three  hours 
looking  after  churches.  There  were  about  2,500  inhab- 
itants, and  I  found  there  was  no  Methodist  Church  edifice 
or  organization. 

Upon  inquiry  I  was  told  in  these  words  to  "call  upon 
Mr.  Stearns,  the  assistant  postmaster ;  he's  a  Methodist." 
I  did  so.  The  postoffice  was  located  in  what  was  then 
called  the  Tillotson  Block,  on  61st  Street,  between  Went- 
worth  Avenue  and  La  Salle  Street. 

I  found  him  a  small-sized  man  physically,  but  with  a 
large,  generous  and  Christian  heart ;  he  was  delighted  at 
my  proposal  to  come  and  preach  and  organize  a  society. 
In  an  hour  or  two  we  visited  and  rented  a  hall  overhead  on 

107 


108  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

the  second  floor  of  the  same  building,  and  I  left  an  appoint- 
ment to  preach  on  the  following  Sabbath  week,  which  I 
filled  at  the  appointed  time,  and  started  the  organization. 

Among  those  of  whom  honorable  mention  should  be 
made  was  Col.  Benjamin  Newman,  who  took  hold  of  the 
organization  at  its  start  and  labored  zealously,  and  gave 
liberally  for  its  support. 

Among  those  uniting  with  the  first  organization  were : 
John  W.  Easton  and  wife;  Samuel  D.  Wilson  and  Polly 
Ann  Wilson,  his  wife  ;  part  of  a  family  named  Russell,  and 
Mr.   Hastings. 

One  Sabbath  morning  early  in  the  organization,  Mrs. 
Brownell  came  forward,  leading  her  young  son,  and  ap- 
plied and  were  admitted  on  trial.  That  boy  is  now  R.  L. 
Brownell  of  Eggleston  Avenue,  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent, useful,  liberal  and  religiously  active  Methodists  of 
Chicago.  Many  others,  whose  names  I  cannot  now 
recollect,  joined  during  my  pastorate. 

In  three  months  we  had  a  membership  of  about  thirty 
and  a  Sabbath  School  of  125,  with  Col.  Benjamin  New- 
man as  superintendent. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  1874,  I  was  transferred 
by  Bishop  Ames  to  Ohio  Conference  and  stationed  at 
Town  Street  Church,  Columbus,  Ohio.  Aaron  Guerney, 
of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  became  my  successor,  and  I  have 
observed  the  prosperity  of  the  organization  from  that 
time  till  the  present  with  much  interest  and  gratification. 

The  Normal  Park  Baptist  Church 

The  Normal  Park  Baptist  Church  was  a  child  of  the 
Englewood  First  Baptist  Church,  having  been  organized 
by  members  from  that  church,  who  were  granted  letters 
for  that  purpose   on   March   3,    1886.     They  were : 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  Powell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  C. 
Shays,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Wells,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  W. 
Wexelberg.  Several  others  also  were  received  on  letter 
for  charter  membership. 

The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  H.  S.  Taylor;  he  served  the 
church  for  about  six  years. 

The  meetings  were  first  held  in  a  tent  on  North 
Normal  Parkway.  From  there  it  moved  to  Shay's  Hall, 
then    to    a    rented    Episcopal    Church    building,    then    to 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  109 

Thornton  Hall,  until  finally  the  old  building  at  70th  Street 
and  Stewart  Avenue  was  erected  Dec.  30,  1888.  This 
building  proved  quite  inadequate  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  and  in  1890,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Frank 
L.  Anderson,  now  president  of  the  International  Baptist 
Seminary,  the  fine  new  building  was  erected  on  the 
same  site. 

The  church  has  had  a  splendid  record  of  growth  and 
achievement.  The  membership  now  numbers  four  hun- 
dred and  nineteen,  and  the  church  carries  on  a  program 
of  many  activities  in  the  community  and  has  a  splendid 
record  of  achievement  in  missionary  and  benevolent  work. 
The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  C.  T.  Holman,  who  came 
from  Bloomington,  Indiana,  in  October,  1918,  to  assume 
the  charge.  During  his  pastorate  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  members  have  been  received  and  progress  has  been 
made  along  all   lines. 

The  present  officers  are :  Student  Assistant,  Charles 
L.  Taylor,  South  Divinity  Hall,  University  of  Chicago ; 
Office  Secretary,  Miss  Ruth  Baker;  Moderator,  J.  H. 
Devlin ;  Clerk,  Miss  Clara  Kilburn. 

Board  of  Deacons :  Chairman,  Jas.  T.  Downey ;  Vice- 
Chairman,  L.  M.  Sheahan ;  Secretary,  O.  J.  Bliss ;  Mem- 
bership, J.  F.  Singleton,  Finance,  L.  H.  Powell ;  Bap- 
tism, George  Arthur ;  Education,  William  D.  Coon ;  Mis- 
sions, L.  W.  Nichols ;  House,  Wm.  Heathman ;  Ushers 
and  Reception,  Jas.  A.  DeBus ;  Publicity,  Metz  W.  Peter- 
son;  F.  F.  Hynes,  A.  E.  Baker,  E.  E.  Bliss  and  A.  J. 
Sayers. 

Deaconesses :  Chairman,  Mrs.  Mary  Christianson ; 
Mrs.  W.  S.  Bassett,  Miss  Bessie  Weber,  Mrs.  C.  H. 
Frizell,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Paterson,  Mrs.  Louise  M.  Lockhart, 
Mrs.  James  A.  DeBus,  Mrs.  William  Harcus  and  Mrs. 
Albert   Jewett. 

Covenant  Baptist  Church  of  Fnglewood 

This  church  had  its  origin  in  the  withdrawal  of  111 
members  from  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Englewood  on 
January  8,   1888,  to   form  a  new  church. 

A  church  organization  was  effected  on  January  1 1 , 
1888,  at  which  time  the  name  "Covenant  Baptist  Church" 
was  adopted   and   the   following  Trustees   were   elected : 


110  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

S.  B.  Maynard,  L.  F.  Ingersoll,  T.  H.  Beckwith,  J.  V. 
Russell  and  Albert  J.  Fisher. 

On  January  14,  1888,  the  following  were  chosen  as 
Deacons : 

J.  M.  Edson,  C.  H.  Crofut,  J.  L.  Garvin,  B.  P.  Ephlin, 
William  Jackson ;  also  other  officers  as  follows :  J.  M. 
Hupp,  Church  Clerk;  J.  F.  Parks,  Treasurer;  George 
Farley,  Superintendent  of  Sunday  School. 

The  first  public  service  was  held  in  Temperance  Hall, 
330  63rd   Street,  January  15,   1888. 

The  Trustees  were  authorized  on  February  8th  to 
secure  a  suitable  lot  for  a  future  church  edifice.  The 
lot  on  the  corner  of  Normal  Avenue  and  60th  Place 
was  purchased  for  $5,100.00. 

The  Rev.  H.  W.  Coffin  was  extended  a  call  on  May 
30,  1888,  which  was  accepted  on  June  1,  1888.  The 
pastorate  of  Mr.  Coffin  was  terminated  by  his  death  on 
August  25th  following,  he  having  served  less  than  three 
months. 

The  church  building  Was  completed  and  the  first  service 
held  on   November  25,   1888. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Bartlett  was  called  as  the  second  pastor 
and  began  his  work  on  November  25,  1888,  in  the  newly 
erected  church  edifice.  The  church  was  recognized  by 
the  Baptist  Council  on  March  4,  1889.  The  church  build- 
ing was  remodeled  and  enlarged  during  1889.  A  Mission 
was  started  July  2,   1890,  on  Halsted  Street. 

Rev.  Bartlett  resigned  as  pastor  on  April  3,   1892. 

Rev.  Gilbert  Frederick  became  pastor  September  1, 
1892,  and  occupied  that  office  for  ten  years,  closing  his 
pastorate  the  first  Sunday  in  January,  1903.  During  Dr. 
Frederick's  term  565  persons  joined  the  church  and  con- 
tributions exceeded  the  sum  of  $70,000.00. 

Rev.  George  E.  Burlingame  of  Windsor  Park  suc- 
ceeded Dr.  Frederick  on  March  8,  1903,  and  left  on 
May  27,  1906.  The  next  pastor,  Rev.  C.  B.  Allen,  com- 
menced his  work  January  1,  1907,  leaving  September 
11,  1910. 

Rev.  J.  N.  DePuy  came  to  the  church  as  pastor  on 
November  9,  1910,  resigning  September  6,  1914.  Rev. 
Charles    M.    Kessler    took    up    his    duties    as    pastor    on 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  111 

December  27,   1914,   in  which  capacity  he  is   still   serving. 

The  revised  constitution  was  adopted  on  February 
4,  1903. 

In  September,  1906,  the  church  edifice  was  again 
remodeled,  the  building  being  raised  to  provide  new 
Sunday  School  rooms  and  other  improvements  made, 
besides  installing  a  new  pipe  organ. 


Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Our  Redeemer,  65th  St.  and  Harvard  Ave. 

Covenant  Church  has  ever  been  identified  with  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  Englewood.  It  has  a  strong 
missionary  spirit,  contributing  the  last  church  year 
$5,485.00  to  missions,  in  addition  to  $6,675.00  for  regular 
expenses,  or  a  total  of  $12,160.00. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  276.  Its 
property  is  valued  at  $20,000.00. 

The  Sunday  School  membership  is  268. 

The  present   church   officers  are : 

Pastor,    Rev.    Charles    M.    Kessler ;    Treasurer,    L.    T. 


112  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Regan;  Assistant  Treasurer,  R.  C.  McCaw ;  Clerk,  E.  H. 
Barker;  Treasurer  of  Benevolence,  C.  E.  Hattel ;  Super- 
intendent of  Sunday  School,  V.  W.  Peterson;  President 
Ladies'   Aid,    Mrs.   E.   H.    Barker. 

History  of  St.  Bernard's  Catholic  Church 
On  July  5,  1887,  Most  Reverend  P.  A.  Feehan,  Arch- 
bishop   of    Chicago,    appointed    Rev.    Bernard    P.    Murray 
pastor  of   a  parish,  to  be   established  between   St.   Anne's 
on  the  north  and  St.  Leo's  on  the  south. 

Father  Murray  drove  over  the  territory  set  apart  for 
the  parish,  much  of  which  was  a  marsh  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  In  one  of  these  drives  his  timorous 
companion  asked  him  with  some  apprehension,  "Father, 
what  would  happen  if  the  carriage  should  be  overturned?" 
"We'd  both  be  drowned,"  was  the  laconic  and  charac- 
teristic answer.  After  thoroughly  familiarizing  himself 
with  the  district,  he  purchased  the  property  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Stewart  Avenue  and  66th  street.  In  this 
locality  it  was  difficult  to  get  as  much  property  as  was 
needed  for  church  purposes,  as  the  owners  of  vacant 
property  were  not  willing  to  sell.  However,  the  young 
pastor  succeeded  in  purchasing  a  plot  extending  north 
200  feet  on  Stewart  Avenue,  and  east  170  feet  on  66th 
Street.  The  price  paid  was  $16,000.00.  On  the  north 
fifty  feet,  there  was  a  fine  new  two  story  and  basement 
frame  cottage  that  served  as  a  parochial  residence  until 
1889. 

The  difficulty  of  organizing  a  new  parish  cannot  be 
realized.  There  were  many  and  great  obstacles  in  this 
particular  section,  where  Catholic  activities  were  com- 
paratively unknown  to  the  residents,  and,  like  things 
unknown,  were  misunderstood,  and  met  with  considerable 
opposition,  which  manifested  itself  in  an  offer  to  repur- 
chase the  church  property  at  a  goodly  advance  in  price. 
But  the  public-spiritedness  and  rare  tact  of  the  energetic 
young  pastor  were  not  long  in  overcoming  this  tidal  wave 
of  opposition  and  establishing  himself  and  his  people  in 
the  public  life  of  the  suburb,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  in  June,  1889,  Father  Murray  was  the  guest  of 
honor  and  speaker  of  the  day  at  the  Normal  School  tree- 
planting. 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  113 

As  soon  after  his  appointment  as  a  successor  had  heen 
appointed  to  the  office  of  Chancellor  of  the  Archdiocese, 
Father  Murray  repaired  to  Englewood  to  hring  his  people 
together.  Many  of  the  Catholics  residing  within  the  lim- 
its of  the  new  parish  considered  the  work  inopportune, 
as  they  had  contributed  very  generously  to  St.  Anne's, 
then  but  recently  completed.  Nevertheless  they  lightened 
the  new  pastor's  work  very  much  by  their  intelligent 
co-operation  and  financial  support. 

Two  masses  were  held  in  Morony's  Hall,  on  Sunday, 
August  7,  and  about  two  hundred  people  attended.  In 
the  afternoon  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  men  of  the 
parish,  at  which  seventeen  men  were  present  and  less 
than  five  hundred  dollars  pledged  for  the  new  church. 
Of  this  sum,  by  far  the  greater  part  was  contributed  by 
Tames  Morony.  Mass  was  said  in  Morony's  Hall  every 
Sunday  until  the  eighteenth  of  the  following  December. 

The  first  church  building  was  contracted  for  on  Sep- 
tember 6,  1887.  It  was  a  creditable  brick  structure,  the 
second  story  of  which  was  used  for  a  church,  the  first 
story  being  subdivided  into  schoolrooms.  With  the  fur- 
nishings of  the  church  and  the  completion  and  equipment 
of  the  class-rooms,  it  represented  an  expenditure  of  only 
a  little  less  than  twenty  thousand  dollars.  On  December 
18,  1887,  mass  was  said  for  the  first  time  in  this  tem- 
porary church. 

This  first  building  served  the  double  purpose  of  church 
and  school  until  the  opening  of  the  present  St.  Bernard's 
Church  in  1896.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  extended 
to  the  north  by  the  addition  of  twelve  school-rooms, 
erected   on  the   site  of  the   first  parochial   residence. 

Father  Murray  and  his  household  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  the  spacious  cottage  at  6550  Harvard  Avenue, 
a  personal  gift  to  Father  Murray  from  the  friend  whose 
lifelong  devotion  to  him  is  well  known  to  all  their  mutual 
acquaintances.  The  space  formerly  used  as  a  church 
is  now  the  assembly  hall  of  the  parish  and  the  entire 
structure  faced  with  Georgia  marble,  makes  the  church  an 
imposing  and  harmonious  architectural  whole. 

In  1888  it  was  thought  wise  to  establish  a  mission 
from    St.    Bernard's.      The    First    Baptist    Church,    which 


114  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

had  recently  been  vacated  upon  the  completion  of  the 
present  church  at  Stewart  and  Englewood  avenues,  was 
purchased  and  moved  westward  to  the  corner  of  67th 
and  Bishop  streets.  The  removal  of  this  church  over  a 
distance  of  almost  two  miles  was  at  that  time  quite  an 
achievement,  as  much  of  the  intervening  ground  was 
practically  a  wilderness  and  it  was  necessary  to  secure 
permission  to  cut  down  the  trees  of  the  original  forest 
still  growing  along  Sixty-seventh  Street,  in  order  to 
permit  the  passage  of  the  building. 

The  daily  increasing  number  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  St.  Bernard's,  with  the  necessity  of  attending  the  new 
mission — which  had  been  named  St.  Brendan's — called 
for  assistance  to  Father  Murray  and  Archbishop  Feehan 
appointed  Rev.  John  J.  D'Arcy  assistant.  He  labored 
devotedly  for  two  years  in  St.  Bernard's.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  St.  Bernard's  by  Rev.  J.  J.  Dennison,  who 
remained  for  eleven  years,  until  he  was  appointed  to  the 
new  parish,  St.  Mary's  of  the  Lake.  In  the  course  of 
years,  as  the  needs  of  the  parish  increased,  came  Rev. 
John  Aylward,  whose  beautiful  life  terminated  suddenly 
in  1905,  shortly  after  he  had  assumed  charge  of  his  own 
parish ;  Rev.  C.  J.  Quille,  busy  and  beloved  among  his 
boys  at  the  Mission  of  our  Lady  of  Mercy;  Rev.  M.  A. 
Dorney,  now  pastor  of  St.  Lucy's  Church,  Austin ;  Rev. 
Peter  J.  Geraghty,  the  active  and  energetic  chaplain  of 
Mount  St.  Joseph,  Palos,  111.,  and  lastly  Rev.  Thomas 
Shewbridge,  and  Rev.  Edward  Cryne,  who  were  the 
parish  assistants,  when  Father  Murray  laid  down  the 
burden  of  his  life  in  1917. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  J.  Ryan,  the  present 
pastor,  who,  bringing  to  the  work  already  so  far  ad- 
vanced, all  the  forces  of  youth  and  vigorous  health  and 
high  ideals,  has  in  the  past  four  years,  with  the  generous 
co-operation  for  which  the  people  of  St.  Bernard's  have 
always  been  remarkable,  brought  the  hope  of  his  predeces- 
sor almost  to  its  perfect  realization.  Before  the  close  of 
the  year  1922  the  people  of  Englewood  may  hope  to  see 
this  masterpiece  of  ecclesiastical  architecture  in  all  the 
grandeur  of  its  material  beauty  and  spiritual  suggestive- 
ness, 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  115 

St.  Brendan's  Parish 

In  the  spring  of  1890,  Archbishop  Feehan  visited  the 
Mission  Church  of  St.  Brendan's  and  confirmed  more  than 
one  hundred  children  and  adults.  Considering  the  time 
opportune,  he  shortly  afterward  divided  the  parish,  and 
early  in  1891,  appointed  Rev.  Michael  T.  Mackin  to  the 
pastorate  of  St.  Brendan's.  Father  Mackin  found  a 
congregation  of  two  hundred  families  of  energetic  and 
prosperous  people,  where  less  than  four  years  before  the 
whole  district  was  given  over  to  cabbage  fields,  and  land 
sold  for  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  The  St.  Brendan's 
of  today  is  a  lasting  monument  to  the  zeal  and  energy 
of  Father  Mackin,  who  was  called  to  his  reward  in  Janu- 
ary, 1916,  while  it  must  ever  remain  a  tribute  to  the 
far-sightedness  of  Father  Murray,  whose  prophetic  eye 
could  discern  the  future  possibilities  of  the  locality,  when 
in  1889  he  moved  the  little  church  through  the  woods 
and  swamps  that  intercepted  its  passage  along  Sixty- 
seventh  Street. 

Pilgrim    Congregational   Church 

Pilgrim  Congregational  Church  was  organized  June  21, 
1878,. with  thirty-two  members,  as  the  First  Congregational 
Church  of  Englewood,  by  the  Rev.  E.  F.  Williams,  who 
at  the  time  was  pastor  of  the  Forty-seventh  Street  Con- 
gregational Church. 

The  first  members  of  the  church  included  some  of 
Englewood's  most  prominent  citizens,  among  whom  were 
the  following:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Veeder,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Horace  R.  Stebbings,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Straight,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  Moss,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Cutter,  Mrs. 
Phoebe  Chase,  Mrs.  Bliss,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geo.  Hull,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wm.  C.  Hanford,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ensign,  Mrs.  Abbott,   Mrs.   Jones. 

The  following  men  have  served  the  church  in  strong, 
aggressive  pastorates :  Rev.  Edward  F.  Williams,  1878 
to  1880;  Rev.  G.  H.  Bird,  1880  to  1881;  Rev.  Geo.  W. 
Coleman,  1881  to  1884;  Rev.  Clayton  T.  Wells,  1884  to 
1890;  Rev.  Albert  L.  Smalley,  1890  to  1896;  Rev.  Geo.  R. 
Wallace,  1896  to  1900;  Rev.  Frederick  E.  Hopkins,  1900 
to  1910;  Rev.  Arthur  J.  Francis,   1910  to   1916;  Rev.  H. 


116  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Samuel  Fritsch,  1917  to  1918;  Rev.  Clyde  Sheldon 
Shepard,   1919  to   1920. 

The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Geo.  R.  Cady,  who  came  to 
the  church  in  October,   1920. 

The  services  were  first  held  on  Sunday  afternoons  in 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  located  on  Englewood  Avenue, 
between   Stewart  and  Princeton   avenues. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Coleman, 
services  were  held  in  the  old  Tillotson  Hall,  The  Engle- 
wood Eye  office,  for  several  months,  followed  by  three 
years   in  the  old   Memorial   Hall   on   63rd   Street. 

In  1885  the  church  was  erected  at  the  present  location 
on  Harvard  Avenue  and  64th  Street,  while  Rev.  Clayton 
T.  Wells  was  pastor. 

After  Englewood  was  annexed  to  the  city,  the  name 
was  changed  to  the  Pilgrim  Congregational  Church  of 
Chicago. 

During  all  these  years  Pilgrim  Church  has  filled  a  very 
important  part  in  the  religious  life  of  Englewood,  from  a 
small  group  of  thirty-two  members  in  1878.  It  reached 
its  greatest  membership  of  nearly  700  in  1910,  and  over 
1,800  persons  have  been  taken  into  the  membership  of 
the  church  during  these  years. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  over  $300,000.00  has 
been  expended  on  the  home  field  while  over  $75,000.00 
has  been  given  for  missionary  purposes,  so  that  the  influ- 
ence of  Pilgrim  Church  has  been  world-wide. 

North  Congregational  Church 

For  the  beginning  of  the  North  Congregational  Church 
we  must  look  back  to  the  purpose  cherished  by  a  few 
to  have  a  church  for  the  northern  part  of  Englewood, 
at  that  time  religiously  destitute  but  for  the  efforts  which 
they  were  putting  forth.  The  first  step  in  this  direction 
was  the  People's  Church,  composed  of  those  members 
from  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church  who  continued 
steadfast  in  their  purpose  to  have  a  church  for  this  com- 
munity after  the  R.  E.  Church  was  removed  south  from 
Cedar  Street.  After  the  disbanding  of  the  People's 
Church  a  few  months  later,  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  R.  H. 
Bosworth,  being  called  to  another  field  of  labor,  the 
Sunday  School  was  continued   during  the  winter  of    1885 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  117 

and.  1886  in  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church,  then  located 
at  La  Salle  and  Fifty-sixth  streets.  In  the  spring  of  1886 
it  held  its  meetings  in  Simpson  Chapel,  La  Salle  Street 
near  Fifty-ninth  Street,  which  had  just  been  built.  In 
the  meantime  a  morning  service  had  been  established, 
Mr.  A.  M.  Brodie,  a  student  from  the  Chicago  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  conducting  the  services  and  aiding  in  the 
work.  At  the  close  of  the  morning  service  in  the  Chapel, 
June   27,    1886,   a   committee,   consisting   of   C.   A.   Ensign, 


l  ;; 


mm 


High  Altar,   St.   Bernard's  R.    C.    Church 

W.  V.  Johnston,  R.  Reasner,  S.  W.  Earle,  and  F.  D 
Rood  were  appointed  to  prepare  a  Constitution,  Creed, 
Covenant,  etc.,  for  the  organization  of  a  church,  and  to 
report  at  a  meeting  to  be  held  July  1.  At  this  meeting, 
the  committee  recommended  the  Creed  and  Covenant 
prepared  by  the  National  Council  of  Congregational 
Churches,  and  the  Constitution  as  prepared  by  Rev.  James 
Tompkins,  superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Home  Missionary 
Society,  which  report  was  adopted.  A  committee  was 
then  appointed  "to  make  all  necessary  arrangements  for 
calling  a  council  for  the  purpose  of  recognizing  the  organi- 


118  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

zation  of  the  North  Congregational  Church  of  Engle- 
wood,  and  also  ordaining  Mr.  F.  D.  Rood  to  the  gospel 
ministry  as  its  pastor. 

The  Council,  composed  of  pastors  and  delegates  of 
Congregational  churches  of  Chicago  and  vicinity,  met  in 
the  chapel  on  La  Salle  Street  near  59th  Street,  on  the 
13th  day  of  July,  1886.  Rev.  Flavel  Bascom  was  elected 
Moderator,  and  Rev.  J.  C.  Armstrong,  Scribe.  The 
Council  duly  recognized  the  organization  of  the  church, 
and  in  the  evening  received  the  twenty-nine  persons,  whose 
names  are  given  elsewhere,  into  fellowship,  ordained  and 
installed  Mr.  Francis  Dwight  Rood  as  pastor  of  the 
church.  C.  A.  Ensign  and  W.  V.  Johnston  were  elected 
Deacons  of  the  new  church,  and  R.  Reasner,  C.  A. 
Ensign  and  S.  W.  Earle,  Trustees.  The  1st  of  February, 
1887,  the  church  removed  to  a  hall  at  5718  Wentworth 
avenue.  The  cornerstone  of  the  present  church  edifice  was 
laid  October  23,  1887,  and  the  lower  story  dedicated 
February  19,  1888. 

The  pastor,  Rev.  F.  D.  Rood,  resigned  July  31,   1889. 

Rev.  Charles  Reynolds  was  called  November  3,  1889, 
and  began  work  at  once.  During  his  pastorate  the  work 
grew  and  prospered.  The  upper  part  of  the  building  was 
completed  and  dedicated  September  23,  1901.  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds resigned  September,  1902,  having  served  the  church 
thirteen  years.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Edgar  H.  Libby, 
who  began  his  labors  October  5,  1902,  and  continued 
until  September  25,  1910.  During  Mr.  Libby's  pastorate, 
on  April  19,  1908,  the  first  heavy  mortgage  of  $9,000 
was  paid. 

The  fourth  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Robert  G.  Moore, 
from  November  5,  1910,  to  December,  1912.  During  this 
pastorate  the  second  and  last  mortgage  of  $3,000  was 
paid,  leaving  the  church  entirely  free  from  debt.  The 
mortgage  was  burned   December  31,   1911. 

The  present  pastor,  Rev.  John  John,  was  called  July, 
1913,  when  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Armstrong,  D.D.,  presided, 
and  Rev.  Frank  W.  Gunsaulus,  D.D.,  preached  the  sermon. 

The  twenty-nine  charter  members  of  the  North  Church 
follow :  Brittain,  Mrs.  Henrietta ;  Earle,  S.  W. ;  Earle, 
Mrs.    S.    Florence;    Earle,    F.    E. ;    Griffin,    Mrs.    Mary; 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  119 

Hutton,  William;  Hutton,  Mrs.  Kate;  Jansen,  Robert; 
Jansen,  Mrs.  Christina;  McBurney,  Wm.  B. ;  McBurney, 
Mrs.  Margaret ;  Nelson,  Laura  Mae  Olds,  Almira  E. ; 
Page,  Mrs.  Minnie  F. ;  Reasner,  Robert;  Reasner,  Mrs. 
Marie  E. ;  Rood,  Francis  Dwight ;  Rood,  Mrs.  Anella  C. ; 
Scott,  Mrs.  Elizabeth;  Sheperd,  E.  A.;  Thatcher,  Mrs. 
Mary  A.;  Johnston,  S.  E. ;  Ensign,  Caleb  A.;  Ensign, 
Mrs.  J.  H.  C. ;  Ensign,  Josephine ;  Johnston,  W.  V. ; 
Johnston,  Mrs.  Mary  E. ;  Johnston,  Adah  M.;  Johnston, 
E.  J. 

The   Marquette   Road   Baptist   Church 

Previous  to  the  year  1894,  Baptist  Missions  had  been 
organized  on  different  occasions  in  the  district  then 
known  as  Englewood-on-the-Hill,  but  for  some  reason 
these  did  not  permanently  succeed.  During  the  spring 
of  that  year,  Mr.  C.  W.  Safford  of  Fairfax,  Vermont, 
a  student  of  the  Moody  Bible  Institute,  Chicago,  com- 
menced to  hold  cottage  prayer  meetings  in  several  homes 
in  Englewood-on-the-Hill.  These  continued  for  some 
time.  Then,  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Earle, 
of  Earle  Brothers,  commission  merchants,  Chicago,  an 
empty  store  on  67th  Street,  between  Loomis  and  Bishop 
streets,  was  rented  for  Mission  purposes.  Mr.  Earle, 
through  the  Baptist  City  Mission  Society,  paid  the  rent. 
He  also  donated  a  heating  stove  and  some  chairs  for  the 
use  of  the  mission.  Regular  services  were  started  in 
this  building  at  the  beginning  of  July,  1894,  and  a  week 
later  the  mission  was  regularly  organized  with  about 
twenty  members.  An  Executive  Committee  was  ap- 
pointed, consisting  of  Alexander  Patterson,  President, 
W.  W.  Pelton,  Secretary,  and  Daniel  Mcintosh,  Treasurer. 

This  mission  was  carried  on  for  about  two  years,  when 
on  July  7,  1896,  it  was  organized  as  the  Englewood-on- 
the-Hill  Baptist  Church,  with  a  membership  of  forty-two. 
The  officers  elected  at  this  time  were  as  follows :  Dea- 
cons, H.  B.  Moxom,  Carl  Wills  and  W.  W.  Pelton; 
Trustees,  H.  H.  Fike,  A.  L.  Frye  and  William  Harcus ; 
Clerk,  Walter  Jensen ;  Treasurer,  L.  E.  V.  Pringle ; 
Superintendent  of  Sunday  School,  Walter  Jensen.  The 
first  pastor  of  the  church  was  Rev.  A.  G.  Miller,  who 
commenced  his   ministry  in   October,    1896. 


120  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

The  first  service  held  in  the  present  building  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  West  Marquette  Road  (formerly 
67th  Street)  and  Laflin  Street,  was  held  on  Sunday, 
November  12,  1899.  The  pastor  at  that  time  was  the 
Rev.  C.  R.  Betts,  who,  with  the  following  three  brethren, 
constituted  the  building  committee  whose  names  are 
engraved  on  the  cornerstone :  William  Harcus,  A.  L. 
Frye  and  Walter  Jensen. 

After  being  called  the  Englewood-on-the-Hill  Baptist 
Church  for  nearly  ten  years,  the  name  of  the  organization 
was,  on  December  6,  1905,  changed  to  the  Ogden  Park 
Baptist  Church.  Due  to  the  making  of  67th  Street  into, 
a  boulevard  with  the  name  of  Marquette  Road,  the  name 
of  the  church  was,  in  1914,  correspondingly  changed  to 
the   Marquette  Road   Baptist   Church. 

Following  is  the  succession  of  ministers  who  have 
served  the  church  as  pastor :  Revs.  A.  G.  Miller,  E.  A. 
Schlamann,  A.  F.  Green,  C.  R.  Betts,  J.  W.  Thompson, 
Henry  Grundy,  Clark  S.  Thomas,  W.  W.  Dewey,  Edward 
J.  Parsons,  H.  L.  McLendon,  and  Arthur  C.  Hodgson, 
who,  on  the  1st  of  May,  1923,  entered  upon  the  sixth 
year  of  his  charge. 

The  other  members  of  the  present  official  staff  of  the 
church  proper  are :  Deacons,  W.  A.  Coad,  T.  L.  Shaffer, 
J.  T.  Taylor,  and  I.  M.  Allie ;  Trustees,  J.'s.  Blair,  H.  S. 
Clayton  and  W.  A.  Coad;  Clerk,  Miss  Edna  Young; 
Treasurer,  Mrs.  Ralph  Prager;  Beneficence  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  H.  S.  Clayton;  Superintendent  of  Sunday  School, 
H.  H.  Reuter.  The  church  has  a  Sunday  School,  a 
Baptist  Young  People's  Union  and  a  Woman's  Society, 
all  in  thriving  condition.  During  the  past  three  sum- 
mers a  successful  daily  Vacation  Bible  School  has  been 
conducted.  Also  the  church  publishes  an  attractive 
monthly  magazine  called  "The  Baptist  Tellit." 
Fourth  Church,  of  Christ,  Scientist 

On  February  19,  1900,  upon  the  advice  of  officers  of 
First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  of  Chicago,  one  hun- 
dred and  eleven  members,  living  in  the  more  southern 
part  of  the  city,  having  obtained  letters  of  dismissal  for 
this  purpose,  met  and  organized  as  Fourth  Church  of 
Christ,   Scientist,   of   Chicago. 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  121 

On  April  15,  1900,  after  a  thorough  renovation  of  the 
Marlowe  Theatre,  the  first  Christian  Science  services  were 
held  therein,  and  the  Sunday  School  was  organized. 

In  1902  a  lot  fund  was  established  and  a  committee 
appointed  to  find  a  suitable  building  site. 

In  1903,  Marlowe  Theatre  having  been  leased  by  its 
owner  to  a  theatrical  company,  the  church  was  faced 
with  the  necessity  of  finding  another  meeting  place.  In 
this  emergency  the  People's  Liberal  Church  offered  at  a 
reasonable  rent  the  use  of  their  building  for  Sunday 
afternoons  and  Wednesday  evenings ;  and  to  the  courtesy 
and  consideration  of  these  brethren  Fourth  Church  is 
indebted  for  a  home  until  it  entered  upon  the  occupancy 
of  its  own  edifice.  The  curtailment  of  the  Sunday  serv- 
ices, the  overflowing  attendance,  and  the  impossibility 
of  securing  adequate  rented  quarters,  roused  the  members 
to  the  necessity  of  taking  immediate  steps  toward  erect- 
ing a  church  edifice. 

Marlowe  Theatre  was  relinquished  in  June,  1903,  and 
immediately  the  church  voted  to  build.  On  October  8, 
1903,  a  lot  on  the  corner  of  Harvard  Avenue  and  W.  67th 
Street  wras  purchased  for  $14,000.00.  The  following 
spring  the  work  was  begun,  the  church  having  approved 
the  architect's  plans  in  March,  and  on  October  24,  1904, 
at  6  in  the  morning,  the  cornerstone  was  laid  with  simple 
ceremony.  In  November  of  the  following  year  the  build- 
ing, while  not  completed  in  detail,  was  adjudged  ready 
for  occupancy,  and  was  opened  for  service  Sunday,  No- 
vember 26,  1905.  On  February  17,  1907,  the  structure, 
entirely  free  from  indebtedness,  was  formally  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God. 

First   Church   of  the  Nazarene 

About  twenty  years  ago  Mr.  J.  A.  Berry  of  6354 
Langley  Avenue,  returning  from  a  western  trip,  during 
which  he  visited  the  parent  Nazarene  Church  in  Los 
Angeles,  was  filled  with  an  intense  desire  to  see  a  similar 
church  in  Chicago.  Gathering  a  few  friends  of  like 
faith,  a  mission  was  opened  at  6327  Madison  Avenue, 
now  Dorchester.  This  hall  soon  grew  too  small  for  the 
steadily  increasing  crowds  and  in  the  spring  of  1903,  a 
tent   was  pitched   at   62nd    Street   and   Lexington   Avenue, 


122  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

now  University.  Rev.  I.  G.  Martin  was  called  as  an 
evangelist  and  in  August  Dr.  Phineas  Bresee,  the  founder 
of  the  Nazarene  movement,  was  summoned  from  Cali- 
fornia and  the  First  Nazarene  Church  of  Chicago  was 
organized  with  100  memhers  and  Rev.  I.  G.  Martin  was 
made  the  first  pastor. 

The  next  step  was  to  find  a  church  building  and  again 
through  Mr.  Berry,  the  frame  church  at  6417  Eggleston 
Avenue  became  the  home  of  the  Nazarene  congregation, 
which  continued  to  grow  and  the  affairs  of  the  church 
prospered.  After  a  year's  service,  Rev.  Mr.  Martin 
returned  to  the  evangelistic  field,  and  Rev.  Clarence  E. 
Cornell  came  from  the  east  to  take  the  pulpit.  During  the 
five  years  of  his  pastorate,  Mr.  Cornell  was  a  well-known 
figure  in  Englewood.  When  Mr.  Cornell  finally  resigned 
to  take  a  pastorate  in  California,  the  congregation  had 
increased  until  the  building  was  entirely  inadequate  even 
with  enlargements.  Dr.  H.  F.  Reynolds,  now  general 
superintendent,  served  the  church  as  pastor  for  the  second 
time. 

Realizing  the  need  of  a  new  building,  with  unbounded 
faith  and  courage,  but  very  little  cash,  Mr.  Martin 
plunged  into  the  work  of  providing  a  new  home  for  his 
flock,  and  in  May,  1912,  the  cornerstone  of  the  present 
edifice  at  6356  Eggleston  Avenue  was  laid  with  appro- 
priate ceremony.  In  March,  1916,  Rev.  Mr.  Martin 
exchanged  pulpits  with  Rev.  M.  E.  Borders  of  Maiden, 
Mass.,  the  latter  preacher  delivering  his  first  sermon  as 
pastor  on   March  29th. 

Mr.  Borders  proved  his  ability  as  an  able  financier  as 
well  as  a  symmetrical  pastor  by  putting  the  church  on  a 
good  financial  basis  during  his  three  years'  pastorate, 
finally  leaving  the  pulpit  of  First  Church  to  become 
Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  Olivet  University 
and  to  engage  in  evangelistic  work. 

Rev.  W.  G.  Schurman,  the  associate  pastor,  succeeded 
Rev.  Mr.  Borders  in  August,  1919,  and  is  at  the  present 
date  still  serving  as  pastor.  Shortly  after  Rev.  Mr.  Bor- 
ders became  pastor,  he  received  into  membership  the  Rev. 
F.  M.  Messenger  with  his  family,  Mr.  Messenger  being 
made  an  associate  pastor,  an  office  which  he  now  holds. 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


123 


The  present  membership  is  around  the  six  hundred 
mark,  in  spite  of  the  faet  that  there  are  now  four  Naza- 
rene  churches  in  Chicago — one  in  Woodlawn,  one  on  the 
West  Side,  one  in  Morgan  Park  and  the  original  First 
Church  in  Englewood. 

Englewood  Baptist  Church 

For  a  year  or  more  prior  to  the  year  1872  a   Sunday 


St.  Martin's  German  Catholic  Church,  and  Schools,  59th  St.  and  Princeton  Ave. 

School  under  Baptist  influence  had  been  held  in  Engle- 
wood. On  January  31,  1872,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
residence  of  Ira  J.  Nichols  at  which  seven  Baptists  de- 
clared themselves  in  favor  of  organizing  a  Baptist  Church. 
On  February  8,  1876,  articles  of  faith  and  a  covenant 
were  adopted,  the  following  persons  subscribing  thereto : 
Rev.  C.  Garrison,  I.  J.  Nichols,  Melville  Stevens,  Florence 
J.  Young,  Bruce  P.  Elphin,  E.  R.  Lewis  and  Eliza  Hall. 
The  following  brethren  composed  the  Board  of  Deacons : 


124  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Austin  Hickox,  Thomas  Maple,  Bruce  P.  Elphin.  Thomas 
Maple  was  elected  clerk. 

On  February  29,  1872,  the  Sunday  School  was  or- 
ganized as  a  distinctly  Baptist  Sunday  School.  Within 
a  few  months  a  number  of  substantial  accessions  were 
made  to  the  church,  among  whom  were  Brother  Norman 
Barney,  Rev.  C.  Garrison  and  Rev.   F.  G.  Thearle. 

Brother  Thearle  came  in  July,  1872,  and  filled  the 
place  vacated  by  Rev.  C.  Garrison,  who  had  been  engaged 
in  the  organization  of  the  church. 

The  first  covenant  meeting  was  held  January  3,  1873, 
at  the  residence  of  Brother  I.  J.  Nichols.  The  church 
was  recognized  by  a  council  on  April  13,  1873,  and  a 
summary  of  the  work  of  the  church  up  to  this  time 
shows   a   membership   of   twenty-five. 

The  first  pastor  commenced  his  labors  with  the  church 
February  9,  1873,  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Edward  Ellis, 
and  the  first  ordinance  of  baptism  occurred  February  28, 
1873. 

Immediately  after  the  recognition  of  the  church,  steps 
were  taken  towards  the  erection  of  a  house  of  worship, 
a  meeting  for  this  purpose  occurring  April  17,  1873. 
During  the  next  year  the  church  erected  a  building  upon 
a  lot  on  Englewood  Avenue,  the  middle  of  the  block 
between  Princeton  and  Stewart  avenues,  abutting  on  the 
school  property,  which  had  been  bequeathed  to  the  church 
by  Mrs.  Hastings.  The  new  building  was  dedicated 
September  21,  1873,  Dr.  G.  W.  Northrup  preaching  the 
dedication  sermon. 

Rev.  John  Donnelly  succeeded  Pastor  Ellis  December 
5,  1874.  At  this  period  the  influence  of  the  financial  panic 
of  1872  brought  on  hardships  and  difficulties,  but  the 
church,  despite  them,  grew  and  prospered.  Brother 
Donnelly  resigned  the  pastorate  January   5,   1877. 

Rev.  C.  PL  Kimball  served  the  church  as  pastor  from 
June  18,  1877,  to  October  31,  1878.  Rev.  C.  B.  Roberts 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  and  began  his 
labors  July   15,   1879. 

Rev.  W.  P.  Elsdon  began  a  five  years  pastorate  Octo- 
ber 7,  1882.  On  March  3,  1888,  145  members  withdrew 
from    the    church    and    organized    the    Covenant    Baptist 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  125 

Church.     In  January,    1888,   Brother   Elsdon   resigned   the 
pastorate,    which    took    effect    March    1,    following. 

In  May,  1888,  Rev.  Myron  W.  Haynes  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  church  and  began  his  labors  August 
1,  1888.  The  rapid  growth  of  Englewood  at  this  time, 
and  the  consequent  addition  of  large  numbers  to  the 
church,  together  with  almost  unparalleled  consecration 
on  the  part  of  the  older  membership,  soon  forced  upon 
the  church  the  necessity  of  a  new  church  edifice,  and 
with  but  $5,000  at  hand,  they  commenced  the  erection 
of  their  present  building  at  a  cost  of  over  $72,000.  The 
cornerstone  was  laid  Saturday,  September  7,  1889,  and 
the  dedication  of  the  completed  edifice  occurred  Sunday, 
September  14,  1890.  The  pastorate  of  Brother  Haynes 
continued  until  July  1,  1896,  when  his  resignation  was 
accepted. 

On  December  1,  1896,  Rev.  H.  Francis  Perry,  having 
been  called,  began  his  labors  as  pastor.  He  took  the 
church  with  a  membership  of  upwards  of  1,000. 

Rev.  Smith  Thomas  Ford,  D.D.,  began  his  pastorate 
February  1,  1905,  continuing  for  a  period  of  over  fourteen 
years  to  September,  1919.  During  this  period,  1,847  mem- 
bers were  added  to  the  church.  At  the  termination  of  his 
pastorate  the  church  was  left  in  a  most  excellent  condition, 
both  materially  and  spiritually,  and  the  people  were  united 
in  sympathy,  love  and  fellowship. 

Rev.  George  R.  Stair  was  called  and  began  his  labors 
with  the  church  April  18,  1920.  In  the  short  while  he  has 
been  here  his  work  has  been  richly  blessed  in  accessions 
to  membership,  large  audiences  present,  and  increased 
financial  offerings.  The  outlook  for  this  church  under  his 
leadership   is   exceedingly   favorable. 

The  church  also  sustains  Wentworth  Avenue  Mission 
at  4412  Wentworth  Avenue,  at  which  location  the  church 
owns  a  commodious  building  for  mission  purposes.  The 
Chinese  Mission  which  meets  in  the  church  is  well  organ- 
ized, and  is  doing  a  splendid  work. 

FIRST  PROTESTANT  CHURCH  SERVICES 

In  1859  a  number  of  Protestant  church  members  who 
had  at  that  time  settled  in  Englewood  decided  to  form  a 
religious  society.     Their  effort  was  not  successful  until  the 


126  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

following  year,  when  the  old  brick  school  house  was  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  religious  societies  for  Sabbath  meetings, 
which  thus  became  entitled  to  the  name  "Cradle  of  the 
Churches."  Services  were  held  regularly  every  Sabbath 
and  were  of  the  union  character.  The  ministers  who 
preached  from  time  to  time  were  of  divers  faiths  and  creeds 
so  that  the  audiences  received  a  complete  mixture  of  doc- 
trines, illuminated  at  times  by  the  students  of  the  North- 
western University  in  Evanston,  who  came  out  here  to 
practice  pulpit  oratory. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Mission  Society  was  founded  by 
Rev.  James  Bassett  in  1860.  A  Sunday  school  was  organ- 
ized in  1865  and  in  1872  Rev.  Walter  Forsythe  organized 
a  church.  It  was  the  first  Sunday  school  held  in  Engle- 
wood,  though  children  of  all  denominations  attended,  and 
about  fifteen  Catholic  children  were  on  the  role  until  1869, 
when  a  Catholic  Sunday  school  was  formed  and  all  Cath- 
olic children  withdrew  from  the  school. 

What  was  termed  the  old  brick  school  house  was 
built  in  1859  and  opened  in  January,  1860,  and  it  was  here 
that  Mrs.  Kimball,  Miss  Cobb,  Mrs.  Darling,  Air.  Clark, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  C.  Cullough,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Nichols,  and 
some  others,  formed  the  first  Sabbath  school  and  called  it 
the  Junction  Sabbath  School. 

THE  FIRST  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  ST.  ANNE'S 

The  first  representation  the  Catholics  had  in  the  Engle- 
wood  district  following  that  of  the  French  missionary 
priests  was  when  the  traveling  missionary  priest  would 
stop  at  the  little  settlement  of  houses  and  say  mass  in  one 
of  them  and  administer  the  rites  of  the  church  to  those 
assembled  there.  As  early  as  1855  many  weddings  and 
baptisms  were  celebrated  at  the  time  of  these  visits,  but 
there  was  no  regular  Catholic  church  nearer  than  St.  James' 
Church  at  26th  Street  and  Calumet  Avenue,  or,  as  it  was 
known  then,  Carville. 

St.  Anne's  Catholic  Church  was  organized  in  1869,  at 
which  time  Rev.  Thomas  Kelley,  of  St.  James'  Church, 
Chicago,  was  appointed  priest-  of  this  mission.  In  1869 
the  old  Jewish  synagogue  was  removed  from  Harrison 
Street  and  Third  Avenue  in  the  city,  to  the  corner  of 
Wentworth  Avenue  and  55th  Street,  in  Englewood.     It  wag 


CHURCHES  OF  ENGLEWOOD  127 

here  dedicated  as  a  Catholic  church.  The  following  year 
it  was  blown  down,  but  under  the  administration  of  Father 
Leyden  was  shortly  afterward  rebuilt,  and  continued  to  be 
used  as  a  house  of  worship,  until  July  4,  1880,  the  present 
house  was  dedicated.  The  foundations  of  this  beautiful 
edifice  were  laid  in  1875,  but  the  work  of  building  pro- 
gressed but  slowly,  until  in  1877  Rev.  P.  M.  Flannigan 
was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Anne's. 

After  a  long  and  successful  career  Father  Flannigan 
was  called  to  his  reward,  and  succeeded  by  Monsignor  Ed 
A.  Kelly,  who,  with  four  curates,  now  administered  the 
spiritual  affairs  of  St.  Anne's.  We  might  say  in  passing, 
that  St.  Anne's  was  the  mother  Catholic  church  of  all 
Englewood.  St.  Bernard's,  St.  Brendan's,  St.  Leo's,  St. 
Anselm's,  St.  Theodore's,  Church  of  the  Visitation,  Church 
of  Our  Lady  of  Solace,  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  St. 
Rita's,  St.  Martin's,  St.  Carthage,  and  St.  Kilian's  were 
all  formed  from  the  original  parish  boundaries  of  St. 
Anne's. 

Green   Street  Congregational  Church 

Green  Street  Congregational  Church  is  located  at  5600 
S.  Green  Street.  It  was  organized  in  1889.  It  was  located 
at  first  near  54th  and  Halsted  streets.  A  little  later  the 
congregation  decided  to  erect  a  building  at  56th  and  Green 
streets.  xAs  the  years  passed  the  wooden  structure  became 
too  small,  and  in  1908  the  present  building  was  erected. 

The  church  today  has  201  members.  There  are  242 
enrolled  in  the  Sunday  School.  Rev.  Francis  C.  Ellis  is 
the  present  pastor. 

Second  United  Presbyterian  Church 

The  Second  United  Presbyterian  Church,  now  located 
at  65th  Street  and  Parnell  Avenue,  was  organized  May  3, 
1887,  at  the  home  of  Mr.  EL  D.  Fulton,  62nd  Street  and 
the  Fort  Wayne  tracks.  Its  organization  was  preceded 
by  that  of  the  Sabbath  school,  which  was  organized  on 
February  14,  1886,  in  Dahlgren's  Hall  at  68th  and  Wallace 
streets.  The  first  superintendent  of  the  school  was  McKen- 
zie  Cleland,  then  residing  at  Lemont.  The  school  removed 
in  1887  to  Thornton  Hall,  at  69th  Street  and  Normal 
Boulevard.     In  1888  the  congregation  purchased  tbe  bviilcj- 


128  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

ing  occupied  by  the  First  Methodist  Church  at  64th  Street 
and  Stewart  Avenue,  and  moved  the  same  to  65th  Street 
and  Parnell  Avenue,  where,  in  1901,  it  was  improved  by  an 
addition  costing  $10,000.  The  improved  building  is  still 
occupied  by  the  congregation,  and  the  adjoining  property 
on  the  west  has  been  purchased  for  the  erection  of  a  church 
house. 

First   Presbyterian   Church 

Early  in  1862  a  union  church  service  was  held  in  the 
old  brick  school,  62nd  and  School  streets  (now  Prince- 
ton Avenue).  Rev.  Charles  Beach  preached  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  coming  by  horse  and  buggy  from  Hyde  Park. 
Rev.  Beach  was  followed  by  Rev.  James  Bassett,  a  Presby- 
terian minister.  Later  in  the  same  year  the  Chicago  Pres- 
bytery organized  the  first  Presbyterian  church  in 
Englewood,  then  known  as  Junction  Grove,  with  A.  B. 
Condit,  A.  G.  Warner,  Ira  J.  Nichols,  Rev.  J.  Bassett,  and 
A.  F.  Nesbitt,  as  trustees  ;  Mr.  Condit,  treasurer,  and  Mr. 
Bassett,  clerk. 

In  1869  a  church  edifice  was  built  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Yale  Avenue  and  63rd  Street,  and  dedicated 
May  9,  1870.  In  the  year  of  1871  Rev.  Bassett  went  to 
Persia  for  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Then  came  the 
Rev.  Walter  Forsythe,  of  South  Bend,  Ind.  He  was  pastor 
of  the  church  until  December  1,  1885,  then  going  south 
for  his  health.  Rev.  Forsythe  and  his  wife  were  greatly 
admired  by  all  who  knew  them.  The  old  church  was  en- 
larged in  1883,  but  some  years  after  burned  down  and  the 
lot  on  63rd  Street  was  then  sold.  A  fine,  large  church, 
the  present  one,  was  built  at  64th  Street  and  Yale  Avenue. 
The  Rev.  Willard  H.  Robinson  ministered  here  for  about 
twenty-five  years.  The  Rev.  Albert  C.  Dudley  is  the 
present  pastor. 

A  majority  of  the  old  settlers  of  Englewood  went  to  this 
church  and  from  it  branched  out  all  the  other  Protestant 
churches  of  the  town.  Among  the  active  members  were 
Messrs.  A.  B.  Condit,  A.  G.  Warner,  Andrew  Drysdale, 
H.  A.  Parker,  D.  J.  Hubbard,  B.  K.  Yerbryck,  C.  E. 
Husted,  A.  E.  Dunn,'  J.  M.  Young,  O.  N.  Goldsmith,  T.  J. 
Nichols,  Enoch  Wood,  E.  B.  Stillman,  G.  A.  Eashman, 
Prof.  Fletcher,  D.  S.  Wentworth,  A.  F.  Nesbitt,  and  others, 


CHAPTER  XXI 

LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS 

Englewood  Masonry 

THE  town  and  the  fraternity  could  justly  be  classed  as 
synonyms ;  Masons  brought  their  Masonry  with  them 
when  they  moved  from  the  city  to  "Barnum's  Grove"  and 
built  and  named  Englewood. 

The  early  annals  of  Englewcod  Masonry  are  lost  in 
the  passing  of  individuals  who  were  Masons  holding  mem- 
bership in  various  Chicago  Masonic  bodies  and  were  early 
settlers  in  the  village  before  the  days  of  local  fraternal 
organization. 

The  first  authentic  records  we  have  of  Masonic  activity 
in  this  section  covers  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner- 
stone of  the  original  Normal  School  by  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Illinois,  assisted  by  the  Masons  of  Chicago,  in  1869. 

The  first  Masonic  Lodge,  Englewood  Lodge  No.  690, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  chartered  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Illinois,  in  October,  1872,  and  the  golden  anniversary  of 
Englewood  Lodge  was  fittingly  celebrated  in  October, 
1922.  The  charter  of  Englewood  Lodge  bears  the  names 
of  many  of  the  "old  settlers"  of  Englewood. 

From  Englewood  Lodge  every  Masonic  body  south  of 
Garfield  Boulevard  has  branched,  consequently  Englewood 
may  rightfully  claim  to  be  the  parent  of  south  end  Chicago 
Masonry. 

The  early  meetings  of  Englewood  were  held  in  the 
Normal  School,  the  ChamoHn  School,  Moroney's  Hall  and 
the  upper  floor  of  the  building  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
63rd  Street  and  Yale  Avenue.  The  present  Masonic  Tem- 
ple at  6734  Wentworth  Avenue  was  financed  by  Englewood 
Lodge,  Englewood  Chapter,  Englewood  Commandery, 
Normal  Park  Lodge,  Normal  Park  Chapter  and  Mystic 
Star  Lodge.  Each  of  these  bodies  number  beyond  one 
thousand  members  and  have  outgrown  the  capacity  of  the 
Englewood  Masonic  Temple  and  will  soon  be  obliged  to 
enlarge  the  present  buildings. 

129 


130  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Nine  Masonic  bodies  and  three  chapters  of  the  Eastern 
Star  now  occupy  the  Englewood  Masonic  Temple  and  the 
lodge  rooms  are  in  use  every  evening  in  the  week,  excepting 
Sundays  only.  The  temple  property  is  conservatively 
valued  at  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  fully  paid  up, 
and  the  bodies  have  no  indebtedness  other  than  current 
accounts,  which  are  promptly  paid  as  soon  as  presented  and 
audited. 

Masons,  as  a  rule,  do  not  advertise  their  good  works 
However,  it  may  not  be  considered  amiss  to  mention  that 
the  Masons  occupying  the  Englewood  Masonic  Temple  have 
paid  the  widows  and  orphans,  through  their  "Low  Twelve 
Clubs,"  upward  of  sixty  thousand  dollars  in  the  past,  and 
this  good  work  will  be  continued  by  the  Masons,  in  addition 
to  their  other  charitable  movements. 

Of  the  prominent  Englewood  merchants,  bankers,  doc- 
tors, preachers,  lawyers  and  other  leading  business  men 
and  professionals  many  are  Masons  and  regular  attendants 
of  Masonic  meetings. 

Of  the  "old  timers''  who  were  prominent  in  Masonry 
and  in  business  and  social  development  of  Englewood  the 
following  were  leaders :  George  W.  Carson,  Charles  Cham- 
berlain, Robert  J.  Colburn,  George  Muirhead,  David  W. 
Rossiter,  William  Pullman,  Stuart  D.  Anderson,  Lee  White, 
Robert  Weir,  C.  H.  Vehmeyer,  Edward  Kirk,  James  H. 
Brayton,  J.  Frank  Foster,  E.  W.  Adkinson,  P.  S.  Hudson, 
W.  L.  Sharp,  Henry  F.  Sawtell,  D.  S.  Wentworth,  Joseph 
Uhrig,  A.  H.  Veeder,  A.  F.  Walther,  John  Whitley, 
Thomas  Whitley,  Hugh  Chittick,  I.  T.  Greenacre,  Charles 
S.  Deneen,  E.  W.  Sproul,  Charles  Vail,  W.  O.  Budd,  A.  L. 
Ringo,  Frank  F.  Porter,  Isaac  Drake,  A.  R.  Beck,  E.  E. 
Holman,  E.  F.  Stevens,  L.  C.  Wagner,  Alfred  Grossmith, 
John  C.  Hallenbeck,  George  N.  Chase,  William  Spinks, 
Benjamin  S.  Wilson,  and  many  others  listed  on  the  Ma- 
sonic honor  rolls. 

From  a  nucleus  of  less  than  one  hundred  broad,  liberal, 
charitable  Masonic  villagers  in  1872,  south  end  Masonry 
has  grown,  developed  and  spread  out  to  many  lodges,  chap- 
ters, councils  and  commanderies  and  to  a  Masonic  member- 
ship that  totals  many  thousands.  The  quiet,  unostentatious 
work   and   influence   of   Masonry   is    felt,   if   not   seen   and 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  131 

heard,  in  every  community  in  which  it  becomes  implanted. 
Englewood  Masonry  feels  warranted  pride  in  the  part  it 
has  taken  in  the  advancement  of  home  interests  and  in 
the  spread  of  fraternal  fellowship  and  humanitarian  prog- 
ress in  Chicago's  south  end  throughout  the  half  century 
fast  waning  toward  its  end. 

The  first  officers  of  the  original  Masonic  bodies  in 
Englewood  were  the  following :  Worshipful  Master  George 
W.  Carson,  Englewood  Lodge  No.  690,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
Carson  held  the  position  as  master  for  rive  terms.  High 
Priest  of  Edward  M.  Jarrett  Chapter  (name  afterwards 
changed  to  Englewood  Chapter  No.  176,  R.  A.  M.),  Robert 
J.  Colburn ;  Eminent  Commander  Englewood  Commandery 
No.  59,  Knights  Templar,  Edward  Kirk,  Jr.  Kirk  held 
the  office  under  dispensation  and  the  first  year  after  the 
commandery  was  chartered. 

Modern  Woodmen  of  America 

Englewood  Camp  No.  3998  was  issued  its  charter  in 
1896.  It  was  the  second  camp  in  Chicago  and  was  then 
called  the  South  Chicago  Camp,  and  met  at  63rd  Street 
and  Stony  Island  Avenue.  E.  C.  Webster  was  the  first 
Consul  and   W.  J.   McGonigal   was  the   first   Clerk. 

In  the  spring  of  1897  they  moved  to  Hopkins'  Hall 
on  63rd  Street  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Englewood 
with  a  membership  of  21.  It  has  prospered  and  has  ac- 
complished much  good  work  not  confined  entirelv  to  the 
order,  but  has  always  been  prominent  in  patriotic  and 
civic  afTairs.  They  now  have  a  membership  of  7$5 
members. 

The  officers  in  1922  were:  Clerk,  William  E.  Munday ; 
Trustees,  E.  B.  Freund,  H.  H.  Watters,  W.  R.  Calder; 
Consul,  E.  W.  Robbins ;  Escort,  J.  P.  Daugherty ;  Watch- 
man, Charles  E.  Schaefer;  Past  Consul,  O.  Rheinwald ; 
Adviser,  Matt  Schmidt;  Banker,  J.  A.  Cummings  ;  Sentry, 
H.  H.  Block. 

Camp  meets  first  and  fourth  Fridays  of  each  month  at 
Carpenters'  Hall,  6414  S.  Halsted  Street. 

Cook  County  Lodge  No.  240,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
The   institution,   history   and   progress    of    this    lodge   is 


132  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

closely  interwoven  with  the  history  and  progress  of   early 
Englewood,  in  all  of  which  it  has  ever  been  a  potent  factor. 

Cook  County  Lodge  is  a  direct  issue  of  Normal  Lodge 
No.  509,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was  the  third  Lodge  instituted 
south  of  39th  Street,  the  then  southern  city  limits.  It  was 
instituted  on  the  fourth  day  of  June,  1886,  under  a  charter 
issued  by  Grand  Master  Andrew  David  Sanders,  who,  in 
person,  was  the  instituting  officer. 

Past  Grand  Master  Myron  Imus  was  the  leading  spirit 
among  the  fifteen  Odd  Fellows  who  signed  a  petition  pray- 
ing for  the  issuance  of  a  charter,  and  has  been  affectionately 
known  as  the  "Father  of  Cook  County  Lodge."  Until  his 
death,  which  occurred  January  24,  1906,  he  was  an  active 
and  enthusiastic  worker,  having  many  years  acted  as  captain 
of  the  degree  staff  and  also  served  as  lodge  Treasurer. 

The  fifteen  petitioning  brothers,  whose  names  grace 
our  charter,  and  in  the  order  in  which  they  signed  ths 
constitution  and  by-laws  of  this  lodge,  are:  *R.  P.  Hollett, 
First  Noble  Grand ;  *John  Maxwell,  P.  G. ;  Myron  Imus, 
P.  G. ;  Orville  Miller,  James  McAllister,  *John  H.  Medill, 
P.  G.;  *E.  W.  Sproul,  P.  G. ;  John  W.  Betts,  Nathaniel 
Lackore,  T.  H.  Beckwith,  P.  G. ;  H.  B.  Moxam,  A.  L. 
Ringo,  P.  G. ;  Martin  Skerritt,  *Joseph  S.  Clans,  P.  G.. 
(*Yet  living  and  active  members.) 

That  they  might  become  members  on  the  eve  of  insti- 
tution there  were  in  hand  three  petitions  by  "card,"  being 
Brothers  William  Spinks,  William  J.  Ray  and  Andrew 
Walls,  all  of  whom  are,  at  this  writing,  members  in  good 
standing.  There  were  also  in  hand  19  petitions  for  mem- 
bership by  "initiation/'  two  of  which,  Brothers  Abel  A. 
Bach  and  C.  D.  Armstrong,  P.  G.,  have  maintained  an 
unbroken  and  active  membership.  With  this  working 
nucleus  the  year  1886  closed  with  a  membership  of  92. 

From  thence  on  its  growth,  like  unto  that  of  all  fra- 
ternities, has  been  fluctuating — now  and  then  a  "spurt"  and 
a  following  subsidence,  but  withal  a  steady  and  healthy 
growth,  as  shown  by  the  Grand  Lodge  report  of  December 
31,  1921,  showing  a  membership  of  567. 

Numerical  growth  has  been  a  part  of  the  progress,  suc- 
cess and  fame  of  this  lodge.  Among  its  members  are 
many  of  Englewood's  most  honored  and  substantial  citizens, 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  133 

some  of  whom  have  graced  the  highest  gifts  within  the 
order  and  the  state.  Cook  County  Lodge  has  been  a 
"booster"  and  a  bulwark  of  Englewood — frail  in  its  begin- 
ning, it  has  kept  full  pace  with  the  community  and  in  proof 
of  its  faith  in  Englewood's  future  it  has  invested  its 
accrued  surplus  in  the  beautiful  "Odd  Fellows  Temple"  at 
Nos.  6316-18  Yale  Avenue.  This  is  a  three  story  stone  and 
brick  building,  erected  in  the  fall  of  1905.  It  contains  two 
commodious  lodge  halls,  assembly  or  dancing  hall,  with  all 
necessary  "parlors,"  ante  rooms,  dining  rooms  and  equip- 
ments, together  with  "social  parlors"  consisting  of  music 
room,  library  or  reading  room,  pool  and  billiard  room  and 
card  room,  thus  providing  ample  entertainment  for  every 
phase  of  desire,  free  from  all  incumbrance. 

Cook  County  Lodge,  like  many  societies,  has  been  for 
many  years  a  nomad,  and  when  on  January  3,  1906,  it  held 
its  first  meeting  under  its  own  roof  is  it  to  be  wondered 
there  was  rejoicing? 

It  is  not  in  a  spirit  of  flattery,  but  a  recounting  of  facts, 
when  it  is  written  that  this  lodge  feels  that  it  owes  much 
to  its  long-time  Treasurer,  William  Spinks  (affectionately 
known  to  all  as  "Billy"),  wrho  has  served  faithfully  since 
April,  1898,  and  giving  a  general  "overseer's  vigil"  to  the 
care  of  the  building. 

There  are  now  meeting  in  the  temple  three  subordinate 
lodges,  four  Rebekah  lodges,  one  Encampment,  and  one 
Canton,  and  it  is  a  future  hope  and  expectancy  that  it  will 
become  an  "Odd  Fellows  Temple"  in  its  entirety. 

The  present  elective  officers  are  (1922)  :  Noble  Grand, 
A.  J.  Behrens,  Jr. ;  Vice  Grand,  H.  P.  Kelley ;  Recording 
Secretary  (for  17  years),  J.  W.  Yeadon ;  Financial  Secre- 
tary, A.  B.  Rysdon ;  Treasurer  (for  24  years),  William 
Spinks. 

Englewood  Council  No.  324,  Knights  of  Columbus 

The  first  step  toward  the  establishment  of  a  Knights  of 
Columbus  Council  in  Englewood  took  place  in  the  year 
1898.  A  meeting  was  held  in  the  Home  Club,  6735  Went- 
worth  Avenue,  with  the  result  that  on  Sunday,  March  27, 
1898,  Englewood  Council  No.  324,  consisting  of  fifty  mem- 
bers, was  instituted  at  Forbes'  Hall,  63rd  Street  and 
Harvard  Avenue. 


134  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

The  membership  of  this  new  organization  consisted 
entirely  of  residents  of  Englewood,  and  because  of  their 
strong  attachment  for  this  community  named  their  society 
"Englewood  Council/' 

The  first  officers  were :  Chaplain,  Rev.  D.J.  Crimmins ; 
Grand  Knight,  James  J.  Kelly ;  Deputy  Grand  Knight, 
John  J.  Doody;  Chancellor,  Rev.  J.  P.  Aylward ;  Financial 
Secretary,  Joseph  J.  Fenlon ;  Treasurer,  James  J.  Tansey ; 
Warden,  Edward  Larkin ;  Lecturer,  Peter  B.  Birong ; 
Trustees,  Michael  H.  Hoey,  Arnold  J.  Schevers,  and  Ed- 
ward Larkin ;  Guards,  Ben  F.  Butler  and  John  H.  Lawler. 

The  membership  at  this  writing  is  641. 

In  the  great  World  War  125  members  of  Engle- 
wood Council  responded  to  the  call  of  their  country.  Every 
branch  of  the  service  is  represented  in  the  council's  roster. 
One  of  its  members,  James  A.  Sokol,  gunner's  mate,  U.  S. 
Navy,  was  the  first  American  called  upon  to  make  the 
supreme  sacrifice  in  this  war.  Lie  enlisted  on  April  5, 
1917,  the  day  before  the  President  proclaimed  the  existence 
of  a  state  of  war  between  the  United  States  and  Germany. 
He  was  commander  of  the  gunners'  crew  on  the  tanker 
U.  S.  ship  Motano,  and  went  down  with  it  200  miles  off 
the  Irish  Coast  on  July  31,  1917. 

Englewood  Council,  jointly  with  La  Rabida  and  Arch- 
bishop McIIale  Councils,  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the 
finest  club  houses  in  the  city.  It  is  situated  at  6323-6325 
Harvard  Avenue. 

Englewood  Council  has  always  been  strong  for  every 
movement  that  helped  to  make  Englewood  the  great  com- 
munity that  it  is. 

The  present  officers  of  Englewood  Council  are :  Chap- 
lain, Rev.  John  A.  Rebedeau ;  Grand  Knight,  Patrick  J . 
O'Connor;  Deputy  Grand  Knight,  James  B.  Schevers; 
Chancellor,  John  J.  Hasty;  Recorder,  W.  Walter  Fox; 
Financial  Secretary,  Robert  J.  Edwards ;  Treasurer,  Adolph 
Minster;  Warden,  Harris  A.  Maloney ;  Lecturer,  Law- 
rence J.  Horan ;  Advocate,  Frank  Michels ;  Trustees,  James 
A.  Donovan,  Peter  F.  Biedermann,  and  Mark  M.  Foote ; 
Guards,  Andrew  J.  Dooley  and  Joseph  J.  Schaefer. 
Lincoln  Council,   Royal  League 

The  Lincoln  Council  of   the  Royal  League  was  organ- 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  135 

ized  February  12,  1886,  when  29  gentlemen  met  in  the 
office  of  Mallette  &  Brownell.  Brother  E.  W.  Johnson  was 
elected  Archon  and  served  until  the  close  of  1898.  Brothers 
Ball,  Wilder,  McCabe,  Nunemaker,  Henderson,  French, 
Morey,  McDonald,  Olson,  Donahue,  Orr  and  Wentworth 
followed  in  the  order  named.  On  December  31,  1896,  the 
membership  was  501,  making-  Lincoln  Council  the  largest 
council  in  the  order. 

A  banner  was  offered  by  the  Advisory  Council  in  1892 
for  the  best  degree  work.  Lincoln  Council  held  this 
banner  for  three  years  and  then  returned  it  to  the  Advisory 
Council  for  competition  among  the  other  councils  as  no 
council  would  enter  into  competition  with  Lincoln. 

Lincoln  Council  of  the  Royal  League  has  always  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  the  affairs  of  Englewood  and  in  many 
ways  has  shown  its  patriotism  and  love  for  our  part  of  the 
city. 

Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  of  the  U.  S.  A. 

Greater  Chicago  Camp  No.  866,  Veterans  of  Foreign 
Wars  of  the  U.  S.  A.,  was  organized  January  4,  1922,  at 
Hopkins'  Hall.  About  45  comrades  assembled  and  signed 
the  charter.  The  membership  has  grown  so  rapidly  since, 
that  nearly  200  answer  the  roll  call  now   (1922). 

The  following  is  the  official  roster  of  Greater  Chicago 
Camp:  Commander,  Marcus  Campbell;  Senator  Vice  Com- 
mander, George  Jordan ;  Junior  Vice  Commander,  Fred 
Rivkowich ;  Chaplain,  Alex  Walgren ;  Officer  of  the  Day, 
Louis  aI ervicker ;  Adjutant.  Peter  Mervicker;  Inner  Guard, 
J.  E.  King;  Outer  Guard,  Ralph  Corrigan ;  Past  Com- 
mander and  Director  of    Publicity,   William  Wingerning. 

The  Fortnightly  of  Englewood 
The  Fortnightly  of  Fmglewood  originated  as  an  auxil- 
iary of  the  Home  Club  of  Englewood,  a  social  club  organ- 
ized in  1889.  In  the  winter  of  1891,  Mr.  Joseph  Badenoch, 
at  the  time  president  of  the  Home  Club,  called  a  meeting 
of  the  ladies  of  the  club  to  consider  the  advisability  of 
forming  a  literary  organization.  Eighteen  ladies  were 
present  and  a  general  discussion  of  the  project  ensued.  A 
decision  in  favor  of  it  being  reached,  committees  were 
appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  and  form  plans.  Twenty- 
eight  ladies  were  present,  a  constitution  was  presented  and 


136  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

adopted,  and  officers  elected  as  follows :  President,  Mrs. 
J.  T.  Greenleaf ;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Hemming- 
way;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Charles  Salmon. 

It  was  decided  to  meet  every  second  Tuesday  during 
the  remainder  of  the  winter  and  spring.  A  program  com- 
mittee arranged  the  work  and  each  member  was  expected 
to  execute  the  part  assigned  to  her,  which  they  did,  and 
the  character  of  these  efforts  revealed  talents  hitherto 
unsuspected. 

Several  entertainments,  lectures,  dramatic  representa- 
tion, and  musicales  were  given  during  the  winter  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Women's  Auxiliary. 

The  officers  elected  for  the  year  1892  and  1893  were 
as  follows :  President,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Hemmingway ;  Vice 
President,  Mrs.  J.  PL  Crosby;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
Mrs.   Charles   Salmon. 

A  delightful  reception  was  tendered  to  the  officers  elect 
and  the  retiring  officers  on  the  afternoon  of  May  9,  1892. 
During  this  year  it  was  decided  to  have  a  specially  called 
meeting  to  join  the  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  and  also 
to  subscribe  for  the  official  publication,  "The  Cycle."  The 
work  of  the  club  during  this  year  more  than  fulfilled  the 
expectations  of  its  members.  It  was  a  prosperous  and 
delightful  season.  The  papers  were  of  unvarying  interest 
and  profit.  Through  the  efforts  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee, a  special  course  of  art  lectures  were  given  by  Miss 
Helen  Starr  Thursday  mornings,  which  were  greatly 
enjoyed.  Aided  by  an  active  executive  committee  under 
the  leadership  of  Mrs.  A.  J.  Mitchell  as  chairman,  the 
year's  work  was  very  successful. 

In  1893  the  name  "Auxiliary"  was  abandoned  and 
"The  Home  Club  Fortnightly"  substituted. 

In  the  year  1895-1896  the  officers  were:  President, 
Mrs.  Jefferson  Hodgkins ;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  George  H. 
Crosby;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Charles  Salmon. 
These  same  ladies  continued  to  hold  these  offices  for  three 
consecutive  years. 

In  1900*  and  1901:  President,  Mrs.  B.  E.  Hopkins; 
Vice  President,  Mrs.  Jefferson  Hodgkins ;  Secretary,  Mrs. 
Charles  Bartlett;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  George  H.  Crosby. 

1901-1902:  President,  Mrs.  George  Crosby;  Vice  Presi- 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  137 

dent,  Mrs.  George  T.  Rolie;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Jefferson 
Hodgkins;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  B.  E.  Hopkins. 

The  early  history  of  the  Home  Club  Fortnightly  would 
be  very  incomplete  without  mention  of  the  names  of  its 
most  notable  members,  those  who  really  laid  its  foundation 
for  the  development  of  the  club  and  its  members  and  added 
much  lustre.  They  were  women  of  exceptional  ability 
along  literary  lines,  and  to  them  the  club  was  indebted 
for  its  success  in  the  early  days  of  its  existence.  They 
were:  Mrs.  George  T.  Greenleaf,  Mrs.  Frederick  Walton, 
Mrs.  Frances  W.  Parker,  Mrs.  Albert  J.  Mitchell,  Mrs.  B. 
E.  Hopkins,  Mrs.  George  T.  Crosby,  Mrs.  O.  T.  Bright, 
and  Mrs.  Jefferson  Hodgkins. 

In  recent  years  the  programs  of  the  Fortnightly  have 
been,  to  a  large  extent,  provided  by  speakers  from  outside 
the  organization.  The  theme  is  still  largely  art  or  litera- 
ture. The  membership  is  still  limited  to  thirty  and  the 
meetings  held  fortnightly  in  the  homes  of  the  members. 
The  club  has  enlarged  its  activities,  to  some  extent,  by 
sending  delegates  to  the  Drama  League,  the  Vocational 
Scholarship  Committee  and  the  Municipal  Art  League,  and 
receives  reports  from  these  delegates  at  the  meetings. 
The  club  remains  the  small  literary  and  social  club  of 
friends  and  neighbors  that  it  was  at  the  time  of  organiza- 
tion, thirty-one  years  ago. 

The  present  officers  are :  President,  Mrs.  George 
Stanton;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  Charles  S.  Deneen ;  Secre- 
tary,  Mrs.  Walter  Earle ;  Treasurer,   Mrs.   Ralph   Lidster. 

Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  in  Englewood 

The  order  of  the  Eastern  Star  of  Illinois  was  instituted 
in  Wyoming,  Illinois,  in  1866.  In  1876  there  were  but 
three  chapters  in  the  whole  state.  Ten  years  later,  in  June, 
1886,  Maple  Chapter  No.  90  of  Englewood  was  instituted, 
and  a  charter  granted  in  October  of  the  same  year,  the 
order  having  grown  very  materially  throughout  the  state. 
Maple  Chapter  at  that  time  had  a  membership  of  less  than 
one  hundred,  and  now  has  a  membership  of  about  one 
thousand.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  several  chapters  have 
grown  out  of  her  membership,  it  has  always  been  a  very 
successful  chapter.     Maple  Chapter  was   soon  followed  by 


138  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Normal  Park  No.  211,  and  since  that  time  23  other  chap- 
ters have  been  formed  in  Englewood  and  three  new  ones 
are  now  in  process  of  formation.  Normal  Park  Chapter 
has  a  membership  of  about  eight  hundred  and  the  aggre- 
gate number  of  members  of  the  order  in  Englewood  is 
over  ten  thousand  five  hundred. 

White  Shrine  of  Jerusalem 
Damascus  Shrine  No.  22,  of  the  White  Shrine  of 
Jerusalem,  is  the  only  White  Shrine  that  has  been  organ- 
ized in  Englewood.  It  was  instituted  June  8,  1909,  and 
the  charter  was  granted  October  8  of  that  year.  The  first 
Worthy  High  Priestess  was  Mrs.  Lillian  G.  Eelmlee,  and 
assisting  her  was  John  Chesire,  First  Watchman  of  the 
Shepherds.  The  membership  at  that  time  was  157.  They 
now  have  over  1,600  loyal  and  devoted  members.  The 
Worthy  High  Priestess  for  this  year  is  Mrs.  xMice  E. 
Hog*ge,  wife  of  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Schools  Mor- 
gan G.  Hogge,  and  the  Watchman  of  the  Shepherds  is 
Charles  L.  Thayer,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Englewood. 
This  order  is  pledged  to  live  for  its  fellowmen  and  is  in- 
terested in  every  charitable  and  benevolent  movement  of 
the  community. 

17th  Ward  Branch  Woman's  City  Club 
The  17th  Ward  Branch  of  the  Woman's  City  Club 
endeavors  to  carry  out  the  program  of  the  Woman's  City 
Club  in  its  immediate  community.  The  object  is  to  bring- 
together  women  interested  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  the 
city,  to  extend  a  knowledge  of  public  affairs,  to  arouse  a 
sense  of  social  responsibility  for  the  safeguarding"  of  the 
home,  the  maintenance  of  good  government  and  the  en- 
nobling of  that  larger  home  of  all — the  city. 

The  Englewood  Woman's  Club 
The  Englewood  Woman's  Club  was  organized  and 
incorporated  in  1896,  being  made  up  of  various  small  clubs 
and  reading  circles  with  a  combined  membership  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  women,  who  realized  many  benefits 
that  could  accrue  to  a  larger  organization.  The  strength 
and  usefulness  of  the  club  has  steadily  advanced  and  its 
membership  now   (1923)   numbers  800. 

The  old  Masonic  Temple  at  69th  Street  and  Wentworth 


LODCxES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  139 

Avenue  was  the  club's  first  home,  meeting  later  at  the  old 
Harvard  Club  at  6323  Harvard  Avenue,  now  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  club  house.  It  has  met  every  Monday  since 
October,  1898,  in  the  Masonic  Temple  at  6734  Wentworth 
Avenue. 

Many  of  the  most  distinguished  lecturers  of  the  country 
have  spoken  from  the  club's  platform  and  the  policy  has 
been  to  keep  standards  high  and  its  platform  open  to  ad- 
vanced thought  in  literature,  music,  art,  education  and 
sociology,  the  five  study  departments  of  the  club. 

The  activities  of  the  club  through  its  departments  and 
committees  have  been  many,  but  the  most  ambitious  piece 
of  work  undertaken  in  the  community  is  the  conducting  for 
the  past  eighteen  years  of  the  lunch  room  at  the  Englewood 
High  School  with  the  consent  of  the  Chicago  Board  of 
Education. 

Mrs.  Henry  A.  Morgan  acted  as  the  first  chairman  of 
the  committee  in  charge  of  this  work.  The  service  has 
grown  with  the  school  until  now  about  two  thousand  pupils 
are  served  daily,  requiring  at  the  steam  tables  and  cashier's 
desks  35  club  women  who  give  their  services  free  in  order 
that  a  profit  may  be  realized  to  be  used  for  education  and 
philanthropy  throughout  the  city  at  the  discretion  of  the 
club.  The  food  served  is  wholesome  and  the  prices  kept 
at  a  minimum. 

The  presidents  who  have  held  office  are  as  follows : 

1896,  Frances  Stuart  Parker. 

1897,  Ellen  Reis  Jackman. 
1898-1899,  Ida  Wooley  Morgan. 
1902,  Josephine  A.  Chandler. 
1903-1904,  Elizabeth   M.   Rowland. 
1905-1906,  Lillian  Reis  King. 
1907-1908,  May  Vreeland  Brown. 
1909-1910,  Ida  Woolev  Morgan. 
1911-1912,  Helen  M.  HefTeran. 
1913-1914,  Lulu  W.  Avery. 
1915-1916,  Rhoda  M.  Roberts. 
1917-1918,  Myrtle  Dean  Clark. 
1919-1920,   Marie  J.   Hesse. 
1921-1922,  Helen  Gerrish  Stebbings. 
1923,  Louise  Hulbert  Wvant. 


i40  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Hamilton  Park  Woman's  Club 

On  April  11,  1916,  the  Minerva  Club,  the  South  End 
Culture  Club  and  the  New  Century  Club  united  to  form 
the  Hamilton  Park  Woman's  Club,  making  a  membership 
of   135. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Hamilton  Park  Woman's  Club 
were :  President,  Mrs.  Clarence  Rainwater ;  First  Vice 
President,  Mrs.  E.  Kenper ;  Second  Vice  President,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Coleman;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  Harry 
O'Brien;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  Harry  Furneaux; 
Assistant  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Walker; 
Treasurer,  Mrs.  C.  D.  Hagberg. 

In  1922  its  membership  had  grown  to  450,  with  litera- 
ture, education,  music,  art  and  civics  departments.  Its 
membership  is  limited  to  500  and  a  charter  pending.  Its 
present  officers  are :  President,  Mrs.  F.  K.  Anderson ;  First 
Vice  President,  Mrs.  R.  E.  Stewart;  Second  Vice  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  W.  C.  Hasse;  Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  E.  L. 
Cornell;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Adams; 
Assistant  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  H.  PL  Day; 
Treasurer,  Mrs.  D.  F.  Strobel. 

Its  presidents  have  been :  Mrs.  Clarence  Rainwater, 
1917-1918;  Mrs.  Harry  Furneaux,  1918-1919;  Mrs.  A.  G. 
Anderson,   1920-1921 ;  Mrs.  Otto  A.  Sjostrom,   1922-1924. 

Its  meetings  are  held  in  the  Hamilton  Park  Field  House 
every  Tuesday  from  October  to  April. 

The  object  of  this  club  is  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
home  and  the  community  and  to  stimulate  interest  along 
educational,  civic  and  philanthropic  lines. 

Linnea  Aid  Society 

The  society  was  originally  organized  as  an  auxiliary 
to  the  Englewood  Hospital.  The  first  meeting  was,  on 
invitation,  held  February  9,  1906,  in  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  N.  A.  Nelson,  333  W.  60th  Street.  Twenty  women 
representing  three  different  churches  were  present ;  also 
Dr.  A.  P.  Fors  and  Mr.  N.  A.  Nelson. 

At  this  meeting  the  society  was  organized  and  received 
its  name  "Linnea."  Mrs.  C.  A.  Vallentin  was  elected 
chairman  pro  tern.  It  was,  however,  considered  advisable 
at  this  time  to  defer  the  election  of  permanent  officers  until 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  141 

the  following  meeting.  It  was  then  decided  to  meet  again 
in  the  Bethel  Church,  62nd  and  Peoria  streets,  on  Febru- 
ary 17,  1906. 

Invitations  to  this  meeting  were  sent  to  the  women  of 
all  the  Swedish  churches  in  Englewood  and  a  large  number 
responded  by  their  presence.  Here  the  society  elected  its 
first  regular  officers.  Mrs.  C.  A.  Vallentin  was  elected 
president,  which  office  she  held  with  credit  to  herself  and 
the  society  for  five  years.  Other  officers  elected  were : 
Vice  President,  Mrs.  Andrew  Larson ;  Recording  Secretary, 
Mrs.  O.  Ostleing ;  Financial  Secretary,  Mrs.  O.  Osterho'm  ; 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  Robert  Anderson ;  Treas- 
urer, Mrs.  A.  Ouist. 

The  Englewood  Hospital,  having  just  erected  a  new 
building,  needed  assistance,  and  "Linnea"  at  once  went  to 
work  by  supplying  linen  and  by  furnishing  one  of  the 
wards,  as  well  as  by  paying  for  patients  in  the  hospital  who 
were  without  means.  The  board  of  directors,  by  resolu- 
tion, acknowledged  the  good  work  done  by  the  society. 

The  pastors  of  our  different  Swedish  churches  on  the 
South  Side  are  entitled  to  credit  for  their  willing  and 
effective  co-operation  in  the  work.  In  addition  to  Dr. 
Fors,  special  mention  might  also  be  made  of  Rev.  Eric 
Rosen  and  Rev.  A.  L.  Nystrom,  who  were  intensely  inter- 
ested in  the  project  and  gave  much  valuable  aid  and  advice. 

In  1909  the  Linnea  decided  to  enlarge  its  scope  of  use- 
fulness by  aiding,  as  far  as  possible,  patients  in  other  hos- 
pitals also,  and  needy  deserving  poor  on  the  South  Side  of 
Scandinavian  descent.  Committees  were  appointed  to  in- 
vestigate cases  and  to  direct  the  work,  and  as  a  result,  up 
to  date  many  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  paid  out  for 
the  comfort  and  relief  of  many  suffering,  poverty  stricken 
individuals.  The  society  also  makes  it  a  practice  to,  at 
least  once  a  year,  visit  the  different  Swedish  homes  for  the 
aged  in  Chicago,  the  intention  being  to  bring  good  cheer  to 
the  inmates. 

The  society  has  today  a  membership  of  willing  and 
active  workers  of  over  600.  Its  income  from  membership 
is  small,  only  ten  cents  per  month  per  member.  Free 
donations  from  members  often  amount  to  more  than  the 
income   from   membership.      The   largest   source   of    income 


142  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

is  the  annual  concert,  which  is  given  in  the  fall  of  each 
year  with  great  success. 

The  beginning  was  indeed  small,  the  receipts  for  the 
year  1906  being  only  $362.79,  while  the  income  for  1921 
reached  the  sum  of  $2,874.30.  The  grand  total  paid  out 
for  charity  since  organization  amounts  to  $20,753.58.  The 
Linnea  Aid  Society  has  been  a  blessing  among  our  people 
in  more  than  one  way.  It  has  not  only  been  the  means  of 
kindling  a  friendlier  spirit,  hut  has  also  created  a  better 
understanding  and  brought  about  greater  co-operation 
among  the  people  of  the  different  denominations  in  Engle- 
wood.  In  unity  there  is  strength,  and  Linnea  is  surely  a 
power   for  good. 

In  1911  Mrs.  C.  A.  Palmer  was  elected  president,  in 
which  capacity  she  served  until  she  left  for  the  West  in  the 
spring  of  1920.  To  her  efficient  work  is  due  much  of  the 
credit  for  the  splendid  success  which  the  society  has 
achieved  since  her  election.  Mrs.  August  Johnson,  then 
vice  president,  served  efficiently  as  president  until  the  end 
of  the  term  in  January. 

Linnea  has  always  been  true  to  its  name,  which  is  sym- 
bolical of  a  flower,  for  during  its  existence  it  has  strewn 
many  a  flower  and  spread  much  sunshine  along  the  thorny 
paths  of  life,  to  cheer,  uplift  and  encourage  human  beings 
in  the  hour  of  need. 

The  present  officers  are  as  follows :  President,  Mrs.  N. 
A.  Nelson;  Vice  President,  Mrs.  O.  Osterholm ;  Recording- 
Secretary,  Mrs.  John  Rehnberg;  Financial  Secretary,  Mrs. 
W.  F.  Kracke;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Mrs.  Gottfrid 
Johnson;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  John  Nylin;  Chairman  of  the 
Sick  Committee,  Mrs.  John  Larson ;  Chairman  of  the  Relief 
Committee,  Mrs.  August  Liljestrom. 

Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Englewood 

The  Swedish  Baptist  Church  of  Englewood  was  organ- 
ized October  10,  1885,  with  a  membership  of  18  members. 
Their  first  house  of  worship  was  built  on  Princeton  Ave- 
nue, near  59th  Street,  for  the  sum  of  $3,000.00  and 
dedicated  July  10,  1887. 

After  a  few  years,  as  progressive  work  became  apparent, 
property  was  bought  on  Emerald  Avenue  and  59th  Street 
and  the  church  building  was  moved  from  Princeton  Avenue 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  143 

to  the  new  place  in  1892.  The  church  steadily  increased  in 
both  membership  and  influence  and  a  larger  house  of 
worship  was  necessary.  In  1897  the  building  was  re- 
modeled and  enlarged,  but  when  all  was  nearly  completed, 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  November  10,  1897.  With  new 
effort  and  without  delay  the  church  was  rebuilt  and  dedi- 
cated April  10,  1898. 

The  church  has  steadily  increased,  having  now  a  mem- 
bership of  600  communicants.  The  aim  of  the  church  has 
been  to  promote  true  Christianity  and  good  citizenship. 
In  philanthropic  and  social  work  it  has  taken  active  part 
and  many  of  the  members  were  among  the  originators  of 
the  Englewood  Hospital  as  well  as  the  Linnea  Aid  Society. 

Pastor  A.  W.  Backlund  was  the  first  ordained  minister 
to  take  charge  of  the  church.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev. 
Frederick  Linden. 

This  church  is  at  the  present  time  in  the  midst  of  prep- 
arations  for  remodeling  and  improving  their  church. 
Kiwanis  Club  of  Englewood 

The  idea  of  a  Kiwanis  Club  in  Englewood  originated 
in  the  mind  of  Daniel  S.  Wentworth,  a  member  of  the 
Kiwanis  Club  of  Chicago  and  lieutenant  governor  of  the 
Illinois-Eastern  Iowa  District  of  Kiwanis  Club  Interna- 
tional. 

Mr.  Wentworth  consulted  a  few  business  men  <  f 
Englewood,  and  Air.  E.  H.  Bigelow,  a  Kiwanis  cl  ib 
organizer,  was  sent  into  the  held  and  three  or  four  applica- 
tions were  signed  and  arrangements  made  for  severa1 
business  men  to  meet  at  luncheon  and  Mr.  Bigelow  would 
tell  them  the  principles  of  Kiwanis. 

Monday,  November  8,  1920,  a  few  men  met  at  luncheon 
at  the  New  China  Restaurant  and  a  larger  number  in  the 
evening  at  dinner  at  the  same  place,  after  which  they 
adjourned  to  the  office  of  William  G.  Tegtmeier  and  12 
applications  having  been  signed,  a  temporary  organization 
was  formed  with  the  following  officers :  President,  William 
H.  McDonnell ;  Vice  President,  S.  W.  Ouinn ;  Treasurer, 
Edward  Rothe.  Charles  L.  Thayer  was  appointed  secre- 
tary. The  following  directors  were  chosen :  W.  G.  Tegt- 
meier, L.  E.  Lilly,  W.  H.  Williams,  W.  W.  Morris,  W.  R. 
Hepburn,  F.  J.  Norton  and  Edward  Rothe. 


144  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

The  membership  committee  was  composed  of  W.  G. 
Tegtmeier,  chairman,  Gerald  E.  Sullivan  and  W.  R. 
Hepburn. 

Tuesday  noon,  November  9,  1920,  a  meeting  was  held. 
There  were  about  twenty  to  twenty-five  present.  Remarks 
were  made  by  E.  H.  Bigelow,  Dean  Clark  of  Kiwanis  Club 
International,  and  Daniel  S.  Wentworth,  setting  forth  the 
aims  and  principles  of  Kiwanis  clubs.  Twenty-four  appli- 
cations had  been  signed  at  the  close  of  the  meeting. 

Monday  evening,  November  15,  1920,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  the  Empress  Theatre  building.  Thirty-four  appli- 
cations had  been  signed  at  the  opening  of  the  meeting  and 
42  at  the  closing,  and  enough  promises  made  so  that  50 
were  assured  by  Thursday,  November  18,  1920,  and  the 
secretary  was  instructed  to  notify  all  members  that  a 
permanent  organization  would  be  formed  on  that  date. 

Thursday  evening,  November  18,  1920,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  the  Empress  Theatre  building  and  a  permanent 
organization  was  formed.  Before  election  of  officers  Mr. 
Bigelow  read  from  Kiwanis  Club  rules  the  regular  way  of 
organizing.  The  territorial  limits  were  made  as  follows: 
The  north  side  of  AY.  51st  Street,  the  east  side  of  S.  State 
Street,  the  south  side  of  W.  80th  Street,  and  the  west  side 
of  S.  Central  Park  Avenue,  the  club  to  be  the  Kiwanis 
Club  of  Englewood,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Regular  Kiwanis  Club  by-laws  with  name  and  terri- 
torial limits  as  above  adopted.  The  following  officers  were 
elected  for  the  balance  of  the  year  1920.  The  temporary 
officers  were  made  permanent,  with  the  exception  of 
Edward  Rothe,  who  resigned  as  treasurer,  and  Fred  C. 
Rathje  was  substituted.  President,  W.  H.  McDonnell ; 
Yice  President,  S.  W.  Ouinn ;  Treasurer,  Fred  C.  Rathje; 
Secretary,  Charles  L.  Thayer ;  Directors,  W.  G.  Tegtmeier, 
L.  E.  Lilly,  W.  H.  Williams,  W.  W.  Morris,  W.  R.  Hep- 
burn, F.  J.  Norton  and  Edward  Rothe. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  for  the  year  1921  : 

President,  Frank  J.  Norton  ;  Secretary,  Thomas  E.  Rey- 
nolds;  District  Trustee,  Fred  C.  Rathje.  The  following 
were  elected  directors :  William  G.  Tegtmeier,  William  R. 
Hepburn,  Gerald  E.  Sullivan,  Walter  W.  Morris,  Merritt 
W.  Rathje,  Sereno  W.  Quinn  and  Alex  C.  Stuckey. 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  145 

The  following"  were  elected  officers   for  the  year   1922 : 

President,  Richard  D.  Hughes ;  Vice  President,  Walter 
W.  Morris ;  Treasurer,  Frank  C.  Weber ;  Secretary,  Charles 
L.  Thayer;  District  Trustee,  Frank  J.  Norton. 

The  following  were  elected  directors : 

Frank  J.  Norton,  Fred  C.  Rathje,  Charles  W.  Hillier, 
John  E.  Foster,  Raymond  J.  Crist,  K.  Ray  Ballantine  and 
Archa  B.  Monroe. 

The  following  are  the  officers  for  the  year  1923 : 
President,  Fred  C.  Rathje;  Vice-President,  Chas.  W. 
Hillier ;  Past  President,  Richard  D.  Hughes ;  Trustee, 
Wm.  G.  Tegtmeier;  Treasurer,  Frank  C.  Weber;  Secre- 
tary, Raymond  S.  Blunt;  Directors,  K.  Ray  Ballantine, 
Raymond  J.  Crist,  Frank  F.  Hopkins,  John  E.  Foster, 
Archa  B.  Monroe,   Chas.   L.   Thayer,   Frank   J.    Norton. 

The  Englewood  Business  Men's  Association 

It  is  to  this  splendid  association  that  the  reader  and 
Englewood  owe  this  volume,  hence  we  shall  devote  con- 
siderable space  to  their  chapter. 

Several  times  in  the  history  of  Englewood  business  men 
in  the  vicinity  of  63rd  and  Halsted  streets  had  efforts  been 
made  to  organize  a  commercial  club,  and  at  one  time  such 
an  organization  lasted  for  several  years,  but  at  no  time  did 
it  come  under  the  class  of  the  present  organization. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1918,  a  group  of  eighteen 
business  men  called  at  the  instance  of  Harry  M.  Englestein 
at  his  real  estate  office,  6005  S.  Halsted  Street,  to  discuss 
the  expediency  of  forming  an  organization  that  would  bind 
business  and  professional  men  in  this  locality  with  closer 
ties  than  at  present  existed.  The  facts  were,  at  this  par- 
ticular time,  that  the  physical  and  moral  conditions  of 
Englewood  were  anything  but  desirable  and  this  body  of 
active  men  decided  to  lead  in  a  movement  that  would 
work  for  the  betterment  of  conditions.  After  considerable 
discussion  it  was  decided  on  the  evening  of  February  9, 
1918,  that  the  Englewood  Business  Men's  Association 
should  be  formed  as  a  panacea  for  all  of  our  public  ills 
and  for  the  benefit  of  our  commercial  standing. 

Temporary  officers  were  elected  and  served  for  a  period 
of  four  months.     They  were:  President,  Harry  M.   Fngle- 


146  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

stein ;  Vice  President,  Charles  E.  Prodie ;  Secretary,  John 
E.  Foster ;  Treasurer,  Samuel  Phillips ;  Directors,  Walter 
Morris,  Edward  Jacobs,  John  E.  Foster,  Phillip  Sissman, 
Charles  E.  Prodie,  Samuel  Phillips  and  Harry  M.  Engle- 
stein. 

This  set  of  officers  proved  so  efficient  and  enthusiastic 
in  their  work  that  they  were  re-elected  and  served  until 
June,    1919. 

The  objects  of  the  association  were  declared  to  he : 
1.  To  encourage  improvement  in  business  methods  and 
advance  business  interests  in  the  community.  2.  To  pro- 
mote legislation  that  will  be  beneficial  to  its  members  and 
to  Englewood.  3.  To  encourage  improvement  in  commu- 
nity interests.  4.  To  increase  the  friendship  and  encourage 
co-operation  by  the  citizens  of  Englewood  and  its  members. 

When  the  organization  was  first  formed  it  had  a  mem- 
bership of  just  16,  while  today  it  has  grown  to  500,  and 
it  has  lived  up  to  its  principles  and  declaration  to  the  letter 
as  well  as  made  advances  in  many  other  fields. 

Since  the  organization  the  following  gentlemen  have 
served  as  presidents : 

Harry  M.  Englestein,  Dr.  William  R.  Hepburn,  Ernest 
A.  FIoltorfT,  Samuel  Phillips,  William  G.  Tegtmeier,  Clar- 
ence O.  Rosen,  and  the  newly  elected  president,  Frank  F. 
Hopkins.  John  E.  Foster  served  as  secretary  from  1918 
until  July,  1923,  at  which  time  Raymond  S.  Blunt  was 
elected  to  this  office  and  is  serving  at  this  time.  Mr.  Fos- 
ter's work  as  secretary  was  very  efficient,  thorough,  capable 
and  satisfactory,  and  from  1921  to  July,  1923,  he  was 
assisted  by  Mr.  B.  R.  Pierce  as  business  manager.  Mr. 
Pierce  devoted  his  entire  time  to  the  work  of  the  associa- 
tion. Mr.  Pierce  was  replaced  in  July,  1923,  by  the  present 
business  manager,  Mr.  Charles  Richard  Edrington,  who 
was  selected  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  association  after 
the  board  of  directors  had  advertised  all  over  the  United 
States  for  a  man  to  fdl  this  responsible  position.  Mr. 
Edrington  brings  to  the  Englewood  Business  Men's  Asso- 
ciation a  knowledge  of  association  work  gained  through 
years  of  experience  as  an  executive  in  local,  state  and 
national  organizations  of  this  character. 

The  association  virtually  began  its  life   in  the  perilous 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  147 

days  of  the  World  War,  when  our  country  was  called 
upon  to  furnish  its  best  men  and  material  to  bring  to  a 
close  the  great  struggle  for  the  world's  democracy. 

The  Englewood  Business  Men's  Association  appointed 
a  committee  called  the  "War  Service  Committee,"  who  fur- 
nished aid  and  comforts  to  the  boys  from  this  part  of  the 
city  who  were  leaving  from  time  to  time  for  across  seas. 
It  assisted  exemption  boards  in  giving  the  boys  a  fitting 
sendoff  and  aiding  in  their  transportation  to  the  assembly 
camps. 

It  would  be  impossible  in  this  volume  to  give  in  detail 
the  different  meritorious  acts  of  the  association  in  the  bet- 
terment of  home  conditions.  The  police  and  public 
improvement  committees  have  always  been  "live  wires"  and 
today  no  cleaner  district  physically  or  morally  is  known 
in  our  great  city  than  Englewood,  over  which  this  associa- 
tion has  assumed  the  protection. 

The  transportation  conditions  and  especially  the  lighting 
of  our  streets  has  been  some  of  their  greatest  work  and  at 
this  writing  they  are  engaged  in  a  campaign  to  secure  a 
park  in  central  Englewood  as  well  as  several  new  ele- 
mentary school  buildings,  and  from  their  work  in  the  past 
we  can  have  no  doubt  of  their  success  in  these  movements. 

It  was  in  1921  that  this  association,  appreciating  the 
passing  of  the  men  and  women  of  early  Englewood  and 
all  its  first  landmarks,  decided  that  it  should  be  their  work- 
to  preserve  them  for  future  generations  in  the  modest 
history  to  be  known  as  the  "Story  of  Englewood,"  and  a 
committee  was  appointed  by  President  HoltorfT,  of  which 
Gerald  E.  Sullivan,  editor  of  the  Times,  one  of  the  oldest 
residents  and  a  very  active  member  of  the  association, 
should  be  chairman.  He  was  assisted  by  H.  M.  Engle- 
stein,  former  Governor  C.  S.  Deneen,  Judge  Theodore  H. 
Ehler,  Jay  W.  Barney  and  James  E.  Armstrong. 

Following  will  be  found  the  complete  membership  of  the 
association,  their  location  in  1923,  and  their  lines  of 
business. 

Aetna  Heating  Company,  5921  S.  Halsted  St.,  Steamfitters. 
Alberti,  J.,  844  W.  63rd  St.,  Undertaker. 

American  Fnrn.  and  Carpet  Co.,  6032  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furniture  Store. 
Anderson,  Daniel,  910  W.  66th  St.,  Lawyer. 
Andalman,  Samuel  J.,  527  W.  63rd  St.,  "Lawyer. 
Anderson  &  Jensen,  5902  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dry  Goods. 


148 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


South    Side 
Masonic  Temple, 
6hth   and 
Green  Sts. 


Englewood 
Masonic   Temple, 
6730   Wentworth 
Avenue 


"       \  m      :       '"         .       .  :  '..: 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  149 

Antonsen,  A.  E.,  1134  W.  63rd  St.,  Auto  Sales. 

Arthur  Motor  Company,   117  E.  Garfield  Blvd.,  Automobiles. 

Atlas,  R.,  Clothing  Co.,  6100  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 

Audit  Company  of  Englewood,  718  W.  63rd  St.,  Accountants. 

Auto  Co.,  The,  716  W.  63rd  St.,  Auto  Accessories. 

Babb,  C.  H.,  7237  Emerald  Ave.,  Chicago  Auto  Club. 

Bachman,  Albert  J.  A.,  6900  Vernon  Ave.,  Dentist. 

Ballantine  Garage,  717  W.  66th  St.,  Garage. 

Barman,  Lillian,  903  W.  63rd  St.,  Dressmaker. 

Barnett,  F.  C,  6444  S.  Halsted  St.,  Singer  Sewing  Machine. 

Baskind,  Albert,  6240  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

Beatty,  Edward,  728  W.  63rd  St.,  Theatres. 

Becker  Drug  Company,  6324  S.  Halsted  St.,  Drug  Store. 

Becker-Ryan  &  Co.,  6245   S.  Halsted  St.,  Department   Store. 

Bergstrom  Auto  Sales,  820  W.  59th  St.,  Auto  Sales. 

Bernhards  Clothing  Co.,  6200  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 

Bernstein,  Archie,  5910  S.  Carpenter  St.,  Lawyer. 

Bernstein,  Zola  &  Bernstein,  358  Englewood  Ave.,  Lawyers. 

Berry,  R.,  6236  S.  Racine  Ave.,  Roofer. 

Bloch,  E.,  6330  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

Bloch  Millinery,  6334  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

Bold,  L.,  950  W.  63rd  St.,  Dry  Goods. 

Boss  Hat  Shop,  6300  S.  Halsted  St.,  Hat  Companv. 

Bougher,  Wm.  S.,  6706  S.  Halsted  St.,  Physician. 

Boulevard  Tire  Shop,  5513  Normal  Blvd.,  Tires. 

Breitzke,  George,  907  W.  63rd  St.,  Plumbing. 

Brewster  Laundry,  5925  Lowe  Ave.,  Laundry. 

Breyer  Hat  Mfg.  Company,  1220  S.  Halsted  St.,  Hat  Mfg.  Co. 

Brownmark,  Oliver  O.,  6610  S.  Halsted  St.,  Drugs. 

Bruck  Bowling  Alleys,  816  W.  63rd  St.,  Bowling. 

Burke,  Gordon  &  Co.,  940  W.  63rd  St. 

Burrows,  Geo.  C,  6242  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dentist. 

Candy  Garden,  6305  S.  Halsted  St.,  Confectionery. 

Carpenters'  Union  Local  No.  62,  6414  S.  Halsted  St.,  Union. 

Central  Window  Shade  Works,  5852  S.  Halsted  St.,  Window  Shades. 

Cherokee  Remedy  Company,  718  W.  63rd  St.,  Patent  Medicine. 

Chicago  City  Bank  &  Trust  Co.,  6233  S.  Halsted  St.,  Bank  &  Tr.  Co. 

Chicago  United  Theatres,  715  W.  63rd  St.,  Theatre. 

Citizens  Loan  Association,  724  W.  63rd  St.,  Loans. 

City  Furniture  Company,  6159  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furniture  Company. 

Clover  Leaf  Milk  Co.,  1146  W.  63rd  St.,  Milk  Company. 

Cohien,  Henry,  6342  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cloaks. 

Collins,  6426  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cloaks. 

Colonial  Cut  Glass  Company,  6431  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cut  Glass  Co. 

Commonwealth  Edison  Company,  852  W.  63rd  St.,  Public  Utility. 

Community  Motors,  6626  S.  Halsted  St.,  Motor  Cars. 

Congress  Candy  Company,  715  W.  63rd  St.,  Candy  Company. 

Crandon  Company,  6344  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing  and  Jewelry. 

Doctorian  &  Kurckikian,  5958  S.  Halsted  St.,  Confectionery. 

Dodge,  John  L.,  6536  S.  Halsted  St.,  Photographer. 

Doherty  Beauty  Shop,  834  W.  59th  St.,  Beauty  Parlor. 

Drexler's  Millinery,  6429  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

Economy  Grocery,  6134  S.  Halsted  St.,  Groceries. 

Edelman,  Gus,  7010  S.  Green  St.,  Insurance. 

Edgar,  A.,  6045  S.  Halsted  St.,  Steel  Mfg. 

Edlund,  E.  A.,  6053  S.  Halsted  St.,  Drugs. 

Edward  Clothing  Company,  6056  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 


150  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Eggers  Furniture  Company,  6402  S.  Halstcd  St.,  Furniture. 
Electric  Fixture  &  Supply  Co.,  907  W.  63rd  St.,  Electric  Fixtures. 
Empress  Theatre,  6226  S.  Halsted  St.,  Theatre. 

Englewood  Advertising  Service,  718  W.  63rd  St.,  Advertising  Service. 
Englewood  Business  College,  735  Englewood  Ave.,  Business  College. 
Englewood  Clothing  Company,  6333  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing  Store. 
Englewood  Cut  Glass  Company,  5725  S.  Halsted  St.,  Glass  Cutters. 
Englewood  Dancing  Academy,  6603  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dancing  School. 
Englewood  Electric  Supply  Co.,  5725  S.  Halsted  St.,  Electric  Jobbers. 
Englewood   Dyers   and    Cleaners,    5119    S.    Halsted    St.,    Dyers    and 

Cleaners. 
Englewood  Hospital,  6001  S.  Green  St.,  Hospital. 
Englewood  Mantel  and  Tile  Company,  5937  S.  Halsted  St.,  Tile. 
Englewood  Market,  5920  S.  Halsted  St.,  Meats. 
Englewood  Motor  Car  &  Garage  Co.,  718  W.  64th  St.,  Garage. 
Englewood  Overland  Co.,  5950  S.  Halsted  St.,  Auto  Sales. 
Englewood  Realty  Co.,  7054  S.  Halsted  St.,  Real  Estate. 
Englewood  Talking  Machine  Co.,  6238  S.  Halsted  St.,  Music  Shop. 
Engewood  Trunk  Store,  542  W.  63rd  St.,  Manufacturers. 
Engewood  Typesetting  Co.,  65th  St.  and  Emerald  Ave.,  Typesetters. 
Englestein,  H.  M.  &  L.,  6005  S.  Halsted  St.,  Real  Estate. 
Erickson,  C.  J.,  5926  S.  Halsted  St.,  Plumbing. 
Erickson,  P.  E.  &  Son,  625  W.  69th  St.,  Decorators. 
Ernie's  Lunch  Room,  6309  S.  Halsted  St.,  Restaurant. 
Eureka  Ford  Repair  Shop,  1114  W.  63rd  St.,  Repair  Shop. 
Everett  Piano  Company,  915  W.  63rd  St.,  Piano  Company. 
Fashion,  The,  6458  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cloaks. 
Feilchenfeld  Brothers,  6132  S.  Halsted  St.,  Meats. 
Fish  Furniture  Company,  822  W.  63rd  St.,  Furnishings. 
Fischer,  H.  J.  &  Son,  617  W.  63rd  St.,  Produce. 
Foster  &  McDonnell,  728-34  W.  65th  St.,  Printers. 
Foster,  Mrs.  S.  E.,  6125  S.  Halsted  St.,  Hairdressing. 
Frankel,  Samuel,  1100  W.  63rd  St.,  Variety  Store. 
Freeman  Jewelry  Store,  803  W.  63rd  St.,  Jewelry. 
Freeman,  Reuben,  807  W.  63rd  St.,  Jeweler. 
Fried,  N.,  1024  W.  63rd  St.,  Drugs. 

Gassman  Brothers  Co.,  6332  S.  Halsted  St.,  Men's  Clothing. 
Gately  Clothing  Co.,  6306  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 
General  Furniture  Company,  6155  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furniture  Store. 
Goldstein  Furniture  Company,  5934  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furnishings. 
Gordon,  Daniel,  6345  S.  Halsted  St.,  Chiropractor. 
Gray,  Newart  &  Co.,  6317  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 
Greene's  Style  Shop,  6442  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cloaks  and  Suits. 
Grossman  Shoe  Store,  6303  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shoe  Store. 
Guarantee  Trust  and  Savings  Bank,  835  W.  63rd  St.,  Bank. 
Guggenheim,  A.,  5743  S.  Michigan  Ave.,  Real  Estate  Owner. 
Gustafson,  A.,  5925  S.  Halsted  St.,  Hardware. 
Halperin,  Aaron,  127  N.  Dearborn  St.,  Street  Lighting. 
Hamburg  Tailors,  707  W.  63rd  St.,  Tailors. 
Hamann,  A.  H.,  934  W.  63rd  St.,  Music  Shop. 
Hamilton's,  6358  S.  Halsted  St,  Ladies'  Wear. 
Hamilton  Park  Shade  &  Drapery  Co.,  7043  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shades. 
Harry's  Shoe  Store,  6311  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shoe  Store. 
Hartman,  Rudolph,  6133  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 
Hatton,  H.  L,  843  W.  63rd  St.,  Furniture. 
Hayden  &  Stone,  738  W.  64th  St.,  Real  Estate. 
Hepburn,  Dr.  Wm.  R.,  6230  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dentist. 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  151 

Hogan,  Scott  M.,  849  Ashland  Block,  Lawyer. 

Hopkins,  Frank  F.,  Mfg.  Co.,  6619  S.  Halsted  St.,  Canvas  Goods. 

Horvitz,  Jacob,  1054  W.  63rd  St.,  Dry  Goods. 

Humboldt  Furniture   Company,  735  W.  63rd  St.,  Furnishings. 

Hylander,  John  A.,  5804  S.  Morgan  St.,  Meat  Market. 

Imperial,  The,  6542  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 

Ihle,  Miss  M.  S.,  6357  S.  Halsted  St.,  Real  Estate  Owner. 

Illinois   Bell  Telephone  Co.,  212  W.  Washington  St.,  Public  Utilitv. 

Irene  Beauty  Parlor,  1206  W.  63rd  St.,  Beauty  Parlor. 

Jensen,  Ed,  6102  S.  Halsted  St.,  Jeweler. 

Johnson,  E.,  Company,  6222  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 

Johnson,  E.   (Swedish  Cafe),  5913  S.  Halsted  St.,  Cafe. 

Joneson,  C.  A.,  5915  S.  Halsted  St.,  Jeweler. 

Joyce  Brothers,  5711  S.  Halsted  St.,  Storage. 

Kaplan  Brothers,  6328  S.  Halsted  St.,  Clothing. 

Kastle,  Otto,  6412  S.  Halsted  St.,  Florist. 

Kay  Bee  Recreation  Company,  750  W.  61st  St.,  Amusements. 

Kogen,  I.  B.,  6408  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dry  Goods. 

Kings  Millinery,  1025  W.  63rd  St.,  Millinery. 

Kiloris  Market,  5918  S.  Halsted  St.,  Groceries. 

Kennedy  Furniture  Company,  6137  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furnishings. 

Kennedy,  Wm.  J.,  6315  S.  Halsted  St.,  Lunch  Room. 

Kinney,  G.  R.  Co,  Inc.,  6148  S.  Halsted  St,  Shoe  Store. 

Koloturous  Shop,  747  W.  63rd  St,  Shoes. 

Kontos  Brothers,  6304  S.  Halsted  St,  Confectionery. 

Krauter  &  Co,  6523  S.  Halsted  St,  Real  Estate. 

Lawder  Brothers,  6047  S.  Halsted  St,  Autos. 

Leben  Curt,  6328  Ada  St,  Accountant. 

Lawn  Upholstering  Co.,  1043  W.  63rd  St,  Upholstery. 

Leddy  Brothers,  6459  S.  Halsted  St,  Dry  Goods. 

Lilly,   L.   E,   Garage   and   Motor,   7023   S.   Halsted    St,    Garage   and 

Lind,  Paul  U,  628  W.  65th  St,  Coal  and  Ice. 

Lindstrum  &  Co,  5956  S.  Halsted  St,  Hatters. 

Lion  Oil  Company,  531  W.  58th  St,  Oils. 

Local  Loan  Company,  6217  S.  Halsted  St,  Ind.  Loans. 

Loehwing,  Marx,  5900  Ashland  Ave,  Attorney. 

Londelius  &  Sons  Co,  847  W.  63rd  St,  Hardware. 

Lumpp,  Jos.  J,  6356  S.  Halsted  St,  Doctor. 

McAtamney,  Edward,  7051  S.  Halsted  St. 

McQuaid,  E.  J,  5822  Racine  Ave,  Coal. 

Magnus,  Margaret,  669  W.  63rd  St,  Beauty  Shop. 

Maling  Brothers,  6326  S.  Halsted  St,  Shoes. 

Marmon  Chicago  Sales,  840  W.  63rd  St,  Auto  Sales. 

Marquette  Building  Co,  1022  W.  63rd  St.,  Plumbing. 

Marquette  Millinery,  6452  S.  Halsted  St,  Millinery. 

The  May  Co,  6343  S.  Halsted  St,  Clothing. 

W.  C.  Miller  Drum  Shop,  6232  S.  Halsted  St,  Music. 

Mitze  Style  Shop,  944  W.  63rd  St,  Millinery. 

Modern  Beauty  Shop,  5655  S.  Halsted  St,  Beauty  Parlor. 

Moorehead,  R.  J,  1042  W.  63rd  St,  Confectionery. 

Moose,  Loyal  Order  of,  6152  S.  Halsted  St,  Fraternal  Order. 

Moritz  the  Druggist,  5924  S.  Halsted  St,  Drugs. 

Mulder,  R,  6043  S.  Halsted  St,  Grocer. 

Music  Shop,  729  W.  63rd  St,  Music. 

Musser-Lorenz,  6248  S.  Halsted  St,  Gents'  Furnishings. 

National   Fruit   and  Vegetables,  6425   S.   Halsted   St,   Vegetables. 


152  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

National  Union  Market,  6413  S.  Halsted  St.,  Meats. 

Nequest,  L.  &  G.,  6514  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

New  China  Restaurant,  6256  S.  Halsted  St.,  Restaurant. 

New  York  Millinery,  6336  S.  Halsted  St.,  Millinery. 

Notron  Laboratories,  6203  S.  Halsted  St.,  Laboratories. 

Odell,  Ira  N.,  7021  S.  Halsted  St.,  Electrician. 

O'Leary,  M.  F.,  7034  S.  Halsted  St.,  Soft  Drinks. 

O'Connor-Goldberg,  6348  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shoes. 

Phillips,  A.  A.,  6148  S.  Halsted  St.,  Fruit  and  Vegetables. 

Phillips  Furniture  Company,  6308  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furnishings. 

Pickert,  W.  H.,  849  W.  59th  St.,  Photo  Finishing. 

Porter,  Frank  F,  214  W.  63rd  St.,  Hardware. 

Price,  M.  D.,  Sign  Company,  63rd  PI.  and  Emerald  Ave.,  Signs. 

Pure  Food  Supply  Company,  6807  S.  Halsted  St.,  Butter  Store. 

Rapid  Printers,  736  W.  63rd  St.,  Printers. 

Rappaport,  M.,  6510  S.  Halsted  St.,  Furrier. 

Rauen,  Mrs.  L.,  5708  S.  Halsted  St.,  Sulphur  Vapor  Baths. 

Rea,  James  &  Co.,  719  W.  63rd  St..  Real  Estate. 

Reckas,  Co.,  W.,  6504  S.  Halsted  St.,  Groceries. 

Reichardt  Co.,  H.,  6423  S.  Halsted  St.,  Music  Shop. 

Reiner  Coal  Co.,  1804  W.  59th  St,  Coal. 

Republic  Stationery  Company,  661  W.  63rd  St.,  Stationers. 

Retail  Cigar  Manufacture,  814  W.  63rd  St,  Cigar  Mfg. 

Rockford  Furniture,  843  W.  63rd  St,  Furnishings. 

Roepstorff,  F.  W,  6128  S.  Hafsted  St,  Dry  Goods. 

Roetzheim,  Theo.  F,  6004  S.  Halsted  St,  Florist. 

Rohde,  Harry  R,  6836  S.  Artesian  Ave,  Hay  Shop. 

Rosen,  C.  O,  5933  S.  Halsted  St,  Real  Estate. 

Rothe,  E.  W,  6534  S.  Halsted  St,  Washing  Machines. 

Ryan  Bottling  Works,  7335  S.  Halsted  St,  Bottling  Works. 

Rydell  Co,  J.  S,  6107  S.  Halsted  St,  Clothing. 

Rylander,  K.  A,  725  W.  63rd  St,  Englewood  Sewing  Machine  Shop. 

S.  &  S.  Corset  Shop,  5938  S.  Halsted  St,  Corsets. 

Sach's  Bros.  Waist  Shops,  6126  S.  Halsted  St,  Waist  Shop. 

Sailor,  Homer  G,  718  W.  63rd  St,  Architect. 

Saly,  I.  A,  6431  S.  Halsted  St,  Jeweler. 

Sandack  Jewelry  Co,  6217  S.  Halsted  St,  Jewelry. 

H.  L.  Scane,  843  W.  63rd  St,  Barber. 

Scanlan's  Pharmacy,  6859  S.  Halsted  St,  Drugs. 

Schack  &  Co,  6225  S.  Halsted  St,  Baby  Shop. 

Scheiler,  Lawler  Coal  Co,  5841  S.  Halsted  St,  Coal. 

Schunadig,  Julian,  6245  S.  Halsted  St,  Cloaks  and  Suits. 

Sullivan's  Englewood  Times,  728  W.  65th  St,  Newspaper. 

Schroeder,  Robert,  853  W.  63rd  St,  Bakery 

Schwaegerman  Brothers,  5854  S.  Halsted  St.,  Restaurant. 

Schweizer  Commission  Co,  654  W.  63rd  St,  Commission. 

Sidder,  K,  6240  S.  Halsted  St,  Cloaks  and  Suits. 

Sissman  Printing  Co,  6628  S.  Halsted  St,  Printing. 

63rd  and  Halsted  St.  Bank,  6258  S.  Halsted  St,  Bank. 

Smith,  L.  C,  6347  S.  Halsted  St,  Clothing. 

Sooy,  Dr.  H.  E,  6331  S.  Halsted  St,  Dentist. 

South  Side  Elevated,  72  W.  Adams  St,  Elevated  Railway. 

Standard  Material  Co,  The,  66th  St.  and  Lowe  Ave,  Bldg.  Materials. 

Stangle,  Sam,  720  W.  63rd  St,  Tailor. 

Stepanek,  Mrs.  Anna,  6715  S.  Halsted  St,  Corsets. 

Stepanek,  James,  1110  W.  63rd  St,  Theatre. 

Stowell,  E.  H,  937  W.  58th  St,  Barber. 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  153 

Stratford  Cloak  Store,  701  W.  63rd  St.,  Cloaks. 

Stratford  Hat  Mfg.  Co.,  917  W.  63rd  St.,  Hat  Mfg. 

Stratford  Motor  Sales,  708  W.  63rd  St.,  Motor  Sales. 

Stuckey,  A.  C,  501  W.  69th  St.,  Drugs. 

Sundberg,  C.  E.,  6406  S.  Halsted  St.,  Washing  Machines. 

Swanson,  David  I..  5933  S.  Halsted  St.,  Lawyer. 

Swanson.  John  J.,  5903  S.  Halsted  St..  Fish. 

Tatar  Brothers,  6422  S.  Halsted  St.,  Corsets  and  Gloves. 

Taylor's  Dry  Goods.  6436  S.  Halsted  St.,  Dry  Goods. 

Tegtmeier  Brothers,  6335   S.  Halsted  St.,   Sporting  Goods,  etc. 

Trigonis,   Steve   G.,  5905   S.  Halsted   St.,  Restaurant. 

Trustees    System,  818   W.  63rd    St.,   Ind.   Loans. 

Union  Coal,  Lime  &  Cement,  611  W.  57th  St.,  Coal  Lime  &  Cement. 

United  State  Bank,  6000  S.  Halsted  St.,  Bank. 

Victory  Grocery  Co.,  6058  S.  Halsted  St.,  Groceries. 

W.  C  Bootery,  6218  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shoes. 

Walgreen  Co.,  6234  S.  Halsted  St,  Drugs. 

Walkover  Shoe  Store,  6440  S.  Halsted  St.,  Shoes. 

Dr.  S.  Wall,  5922  S.  Halsted  St,  Chiropractor. 

Wanzer,  Sidney  B,  600  W.  71st  St,  Milk. 

Warrer,  Ferd,  665  W.  63rd  St,  Printing. 

Washington  Millinery,  6337  S.  Halsted  St,  Millinery. 

Weber,  F.  C,  6319  Lowe  Ave,  Wholesale  Groceries. 

Webster  &  Corkhill,  5931  S.  Halsted  St,  Vulcanizing. 

Western  Undertaking  Co,  6659  S.  Halsted  St,  Undertaking. 

Wentworth,  Dan  S,  56  W.  Randolph  St.,  Lawyer. 

Whitehead  Brothers,  6701  S.  Halsted  St,  Auto  Accessories. 

White  Sewing  Machine  Co,  6429  S.  Halsted  St,  Sewing  Machines. 

Whitmer,  W.  A,  670  W.  63rd  St,  Carpet  Cleaning. 

Williams,  Fred  C,  6517  S.  Halsted  St,  Printing. 

Wills  &  Smith,  7041  Jeffery  Ave. 

Wilson  Candy  Company,  6430  S.  Halsted   St,  Confectionery. 

Wolfson,  W.  L,  6214  S.  Halsted  St,  Clothing. 

Woman's  Shop,  6239  S.  Halsted  St,  Cloaks  and  Dresses. 

Wood  Brothers'   Studio,  673  W.  63rd   St,  Photographers. 

Woolworth,  F.  W.  &  Co,  6314  S.  Halsted  St,  5c  and  10c  Store. 

Yancy  Rubber  Company,  7146  S.  Halsted  St,  Tires. 

Young,  Mrs.  Minnie  E,  938  W.  63rd  St,  Apron  Shop. 

Zax  Brothers,  6451  S.  Halsted  St,  Yard  Goods. 

Zicterman,  Peter,  5926  S.  Halsted  St,  Real  Estate  Broker. 

Englewood  Commercial  and  Civic  Association 

The  Englewood  Commercial  and  Civic  Association  is 
the  successor  to  several  other  business  men's  organizations. 
Twenty  years  ago  or  more  the  Englewood  Improvement 
Association  was  formed  for  the  betterment  of  conditions 
in  central  Englewood  and  the  improvement  of  the  streets 
and  environments.  It  accomplished  its  purpose  very  well 
for  the  time  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Englewood  Business 
Men's  Association,  which  devoted  itself  principally  to  the 
inauguration  of  carnivals,  fairs  and  special  sales  days. 

So  many  calls  were  made  upon  the  association  by  other 
interests  allied,  but  not  directly  connected  with  the  business 


154  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

men  of  central  Englewaod,  that  it  was  decided  to  broaden 
the  scope  and  enlarge  the  meaning  of  an  organization  bet- 
ter suited  to  the  Englewood  of  today.  After  an  expensive 
experience  with  professional  organizers  and  some  very 
vivid  hued  dreams,  the  organizers  were  dispensed  with,  and 
local  men  assumed  the  management  of  the  business  organ- 
ization known  as  the  Englewood  Commercial  and  Civic 
Association. 

This  organization  has  made  itself  an  important  factor 
in  the  development  of  our  town,  and  although  its  territory 
is  supposed  to  include  only  that  between  Wentworth  Ave- 
nue and  Wallace  Street  it  has  gone  farther  and  assisted 
in  every  good  work  for  Englewood,  no  matter  how  far  it 
might  be  north  or  south  of  63rd  Street. 

Their  patriotic  work  during  the  strenuous  days  of  the 
World  War  and  in  the  sale  of  war  bonds  and  securities 
made  a  record  of  which  the  members  and  people  of  Engle- 
wood may  well  feel  proud.  Having  assisted  in  securing  the 
million  dollar  addition  to  the  Englewood  High  wSchool  as 
well  as  the  Hiram  Kelly  Branch  of  the  Public  Library  and 
being  active  in  the  Boy  Scout  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  improve- 
ments, they  rounded  up  this  year  (  1922)  by  placing  a  sys- 
tem of  handsome  boulevard  electric  light  lamps  on  63rd 
Street,  between  Wentworth  Avenue  and  Wallace  Street, 
which  makes  it  the  most  beautifully  illuminated  business 
district  in  the  city. 

The  officers  at  the  present  time  are  :  President,  Frank 
C.  Berg ;  Vice  President,  Harry  G.  Johnson ;  Treasurer, 
E.  E.  Hart ;  Secretary,  George  Woollacott. 

The  membership  and  their  occupation  follows : 

Davis  &  Kreeger,  213  W.  63rd   St.,  Paints. 

Winsberg,  Mose,  226  W.  63rd  St.,  General  Store. 

Englewood  State  Bank,  63rd  St.  and  Yale  Ave.,  Bank. 

Schulze  Baking  Co.,  354  W.  63rd  St.,  Bakery. 

Brewer,  C.  A.,  &  Sons,  6320  Harvard  Ave.,  Novelty  Mf'rs. 

Fulton,  F.  M.,  228  W.  62nd.  St.,  Coal. 

Sherman,  C.  H.,  246  W.  63rd  St.,  Groceries. 

Berg,  C.  Frank,  326  W.  63rd  St.,  Men's  Furnishings. 

Ernie's  Restaurant,  207  W.  63rd  St.,  Restaurant. 

Snyder,  C.  A.,  327  W.  63rd  St.,  Bakery. 

Fagan,   George  H,   238  W.   63rd   St.,   Billiard - 

Frank,  Emil,  519  W.  63rd  St.,  Market. 

Butler,  C.  M,  425  W.  63rd  St.,  Printer. 

Kellner,  Frank,  443  W.  63rd  St.,  Stationery 

Carr,  H.  A.,  331-333  W.  63rd  St.,  Sloes 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  155 

Sandberg,  Arthur,  361   W.  63rd  St.,  Jewelry. 

Fender  Auto  Livery,  330  W.  63rd  St. 

Stewart,  H.  D„  304  W.  63rd  St.,  Physician. 

Decker,  J.  R„  353  W.  63rd  St.,  Candies. 

Haas,   Jos.    C,   6309   Harvard   Ave.,    Florist 

Englewood  Lumber  Co.,  6315  Wentworth  Ave.,  Lumber. 

Heeran,   Arnold,   Photographer. 

Barkey,  F.  P.,  251  W.  63rd  St.,  Shoes. 

Friedman,  Sam,  526  W.  63rd  St.,  Tailor. 

Sluis  Seed  Store,  544  W.  63rd  St.,  Seeds. 

Woollacott,  George,  6342  Parnell  Ave.,  Contractor. 

Sullivan,  G.  E.,  728-34  W.  65th  St.,  Englewood  Times. 

Lanyon,  L.  H.,  415  W.  63rd  St.,  Undertaker. 

South  Side  Printing  Co.,  6309  Yale  Ave. 

Co-Operative  Tailors,  534  W.  63rd  St. 

Kershaw,  H.  E.,  420  W.  63rd  St,  Dairy  Products. 

DuVal,  B.  J,  352  W.  63rd  St.,  Photographer. 

Calloway,  Geo.,  351  W.  63rd  St.,  Electric  Goods. 

Maasberg,  M.  C,  340  W.  63rd  St,  Upholsterer. 

Gumbiner,  J,  328  W.  63rd  St. 

Porter,  Frank  F,  214  W.  63rd  St,  Hardware. 

Dow,  George  B,  336  W.  63rd  St,  Pianos. 

Schiff,  Chas,  426  W.  63rd  St,  Dry  Goods. 

Hocking  &  Penhallegon,  500  W.  63rd  St,  Hardware. 

Eads,  Fred,  215  W.  63rd  St,  Paints. 

Levin,  Dave,  224  W.  63rd  St,  Tailor. 

Becker,  Thomas,  462  W.  63rd  St. 

Rappaport,  P,  412  W.  63rd  St,  Furrier. 

Johnson,  Mr,  First  National  Bank  of  Englewood. 

Madigan  Bros.  Co,  312  W.  63rd  St,  Dry  Goods. 

DeVries,  L,  320  W.  63rd  St,  Gen.  Jewelry. 

Burkhardt  Bakery,  448  W.  63rd  St. 

Lain,  Van  V,  63rd  St.  and  Harvard  Ave.,  Undertaker. 

Foster  &  McDonnell,  728-34  W.  65th  St,  Printers. 

Sachsell,  Oscar,  313  W.  63rd  St,  Cigars. 

Mutter,  John,  6307  Harvard  Ave,  Electric  Goods. 

Webster  &  Christ,  459  W.  63rd  St,  Druggists. 

Lehnard,  L,  Co,  236  W.  63rd  St,  Cigars  and  Billiards. 

Ross,  J.  L,  300  W.  63rd  St,  Drugs. 

Mintz,  L,  528  W.  63rd  St,  Tailor. 

Herman,  F. 

Gildin,  J,  224  W.  63rd  St,  Clothier. 

White  Front  Grocery,  354  W.  63rd  St. 

Himmell,  F,  435  W.  63rd  St,  Furrier. 

Drapanes,  201  W.  63rd  St,  Candy. 

Schmitt,  Miss,  Millinery. 

Hamilton  Park  Improvement  Association 

Dating  back  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  there 
stood  a  building  between  Yale  and  Webster  avenues  at  70th 
Street,  called  the  ShurtlerT  School,  of  which  Mrs.  Willard 
was  the  principal,  who  had  associated  with  her  a  half 
dozen  teachers. 

This  neighborhood  became   so  profuse  with  enthusiasm 


156  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

and  the  population  increased  so  rapidly  that  the  old  build- 
ing was  forced  into  a  transformation.  Now  a  spacious  one 
occupies  the  spot,  with  wings  extending  from  Yale  Avenue 
to  Webster  (now  Princeton  Avenue),  the  name  having 
been  changed  from  Shurtleff  to  Yale  School,  with  enlarged 
capacity  to  1,200.  The  present  enrollment  is  1,062;  the 
corps  of  teachers,  30. 

A  historical  sketch  coincident  with  the  above  is  ap- 
propriate. 

Fifty  years  ago  at  this  particular  point  a  frame  resi- 
dence was  built  by  James  Griffith.  It  was  the  only  build- 
ing at  that  time  south  of  70th  Street.  It  stood  alone  for 
years. 

Mr.  Griffith's  kindly  face  can  be  recalled  by  the  oldest 
citizens  and  many  members  of  this  oldtime  family  of  Engle- 
wood  sojourn  in  its  midst — some  in  Hamilton  Park  region, 
some  in  Beverly  district,  others  have  gone  on  before  to  join 
the  "silent  majority." 

This  Griffith's  home  was  surely  an  interesting  land- 
mark. The  row  of  willow  trees  was  known  far  and  wide 
as  the  boy's  resort  for  games  and  sports.  While  this  trans- 
formation was  going  on,  the  playground  of  the  Yale  School 
was  enlarged  by  the  school  board. 

This  historic  home,  together  with  a  brick  four  flat  and 
a  cottage  owned  by  Mr.  George  Woodruff,  another  old  time 
resident,  were  condemned  and  sold  to  make  room  for  the 
contemplated  playground.  The  Griffith's  house  and  the 
four  flat  were  purchased  by  W.  G.  Dunkum,  who  moved 
them  across  Princeton  Avenue,  facing  the  house  on  70th 
Place,  the  flat  about  faced  on  Princeton  Avenue.  This 
operation  was  so  skillfully  performed,  that  not  even  a 
crack  in  the  walls,  nor  damage  of  any  kind  resulted. 

The  Woodruff  cottage  was  taken  to  70th  Street  and 
Yale  Avenue. 

The  association,  subject  of  this  sketch,  had  its  origir 
in  the  Yale  School  building  some  twenty  years  ago,  unde: 
the  name  of  the  "Normal  Park  Improvement  Association.' 
C.  D.  Eulette,  71st  Street  and  Princeton  Avenue,  was  th 
president,  and  George  Erhart,  of  7206  Yale  Avenue,  wa 
the  secretary.  Its  jurisdiction  was  then  from  69th  to  75t 
streets  and  from  Wentworth  to  Normal  avenues. 

A  sharp  contest  arose  for  the  naming  of  the  permanei 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  157 

organization,   resulting  in  the  selection   of   "Eggleston   Im- 
provement Association"  for  its  name. 

After  Hamilton  Park  was  pulled  up  out  of  the  low  lands 
and  developed  into  a  thing  of  beauty,  the  organization 
adopted  the  name  "Hamilton  Improvement  Association," 
using  the  field  house  for  its  meetings.  From  that  time  on 
it  has  had  its  watchful  eye  on  all  the  territory  south  to 
75th  Street.  It  is  doing  fine  work,  and  much  strenuous 
work,  to  make  this  a  beauty  spot  of  the  South  Side. 

Y.  M.  C.  A. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A  was  organized  in  1886  and  located  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Ave- 
nue, occupying  three  rooms  over  the  F.  G.  Thearle  jewelry 
store,  wtih  Albert  Russell,  president;  Charles  R.  Bradley, 
secretary,  J.  E.  Armstrong,  McKenzie  Cleland,  H.  D. 
Fulton,  John  Whitley,  directors. 

A  lecture  course  of  six  lectures  was  given  each  year  in 
the  old  Lanyon  Opera  House  on  Englewood  Avenue  and 
later  in  the  Marlowe  Theatre.  A  ladies'  auxiliary  was 
organized  by  Mrs.  H.  D.  Fulton,  Mrs.  Sutherland,  Mrs. 
Mary  Nichols,  Airs.  Ledger  and  others. 

Sunday  men's  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  Temper- 
ance Hall  at  230  W.  63rd  Street,  with  Harry  Hawkins 
leader  of  the  band.  In  the  fall  of  1888  a  gymnasium  was 
opened  by  Fred  Allen  as  the  physical  director,  occupying 
the  store  at  6148  Wentworth  Avenue.  In  the  spring  of 
1889  they  moved  into  their  new  building  built  by  William 
and  Thomas  Cheguidden,  contractors,  on  a  lot  60x125  feet. 
The  building,  which  was  a  two  story  frame,  was  fitted  up 
with  the  secretary's  office  on  the  first  floor,  boys'  room, 
reading  and  recreation  and  educational  rooms  on  the  sec- 
ond floor. 

The  gymnasium,  60x60  feet,  which  was  located  in  the 
center  of  the  building  was  considered  one  of  the  best 
equipped  in  the  west  with  baths  and  dressing  rooms  in  the 
rear  of  the  gymnasium.  After  the  opening  and  dedication 
of  the  building,  Theodore  P.  Day,  of  Marblehead,  Mass., 
came  to  succeed  Charles  R.  Bradley  as  secretary  The 
athletic  field  was  located  at  61st  and  State  streets.  Ath- 
letic meets  were  held  each  spring  and  fall.  Among  the 
athletes   who   helped  to  put  Englewood   on  the  map   were 


158  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Harry  Haddon,  Clayton  Teetsel,  Phil  Garver  and  Walter 
McCornack,  who  later  became  football  coach  of  Dartmouth 
College  and  Northwestern  University.  In  sprints  and  run- 
ning, Fred  I.  Kent,  Archie  Holbein,  Harry  White,  Albert 
Fulton  and  John  Kempter  made  records  equal  to  the 
records  of  today.  On  the  baseball  diamond,  Frank  Curtis, 
Charlie  Whitley,  Ralph  Bottemus  and  George  Fluff,  who  is 
now  athletic  director  of  the  University  of  Illinois  and  has 
been  ever  since. 

Out  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  junior  football  team  the  Engle- 
wood  High  School  football  team  started,  their  first  team 
training  under  Prof.  Frank  A.  Houghton  in  1889.  They 
defeated  Hyde  Park  High  School  in  their  first  game. 

Among  the  business  men  who  took  an  active  part  in  the 
religious,  physical  and  social  work  of  the  association  are 
Charles  Schiff,  Albert  Fulton,  Frank  Fulton,  T.  B.  Wils- 
don,  W.  H.  Sharp,  John  McClun,  Arthur  Whitley,  Jim 
Fleming  and  Joe  Fleming. 

In  May  of  each  year  a  May  fete  was  held  in  a  tent  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Harvard  Avenue. 
A  program  of  athletic,  musical,  May  pole  and  other  events 
was  given  each  evening. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  held  their  services  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A  gymnasium  during  the  construction  of  their 
church  building.  In  the  spring  of  1893  the  building  was 
moved  to  the  rear  of  the  lot  and  used  as  a  blacksmith  shop 
and.  later  burned  to  the  ground. 

At  this  date  (1923)  a  campaign  has  just  closed  to 
raise  $475,000.00  for  a  complete  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building 
and  organization  in  Greater  Englewood.  The  campaign 
closed  in  November  with  a  surplus  of  over  $5,000.00  and 
the  neighborhood  is  assured  of  a  wonderful  modern  and 
complete  plant,  to  be  erected  within  the  next  year. 
Old  Settlers  of  Englewood  Club 

On  September  17,  1903,  a  letter  was  sent  to  a  number 
of  the  old  time  citizens  of  Englewood  notifying  them  to 
come  to  a  meeting  to  be  held  at  the  Men's  Club  on  Harvard 
Avenue,  now  known  as  the  Knights  of  Columbus  club 
house,  for  the  purpose  of  having  an  informal  dinner  at 
some  central  place  in  Englewood,  at  which  the  old  time  set- 
tlers who  had  lived  here  25  years  or  more  could  have  the 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  159 

opportunity  of  seeing  old  friends  and  talking  over  the  early 
days.  This  letter  of  invitation  was  signed  by  H.  IT.  Gross, 
W.  W.  Carter  and  W.  O.  Budd.  In  answer  to  the  call  the 
following  gentlemen  assembled : 

Messers.  George  Muirhead,  Howard  Gross.  \Y.  W.  Car- 
ter, Joseph  Badenoch,  Edwin  Kirk,  Jr.,  Charles  Berg, 
Steven  B.  Maynard,  W.  O.  Budd,  J.  H.  Brayton,  Joseph 
Uhrig  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Champlin. 

After  an  informal  discussion  concerning  the  mode  of 
procedure  it  was  decided  that  only  those  who  had  a  resi- 
dence of  twenty-five  years  in  Englewood  should  be  consid- 
ered members  of  the  "Old  Settlers'  Club."  At  the  close  of 
the  meeting  Howard  Gross  was  elected  president  and  J.  H. 
Brayton  was  elected   secretary. 

At  a  meeting  held  September  22,  the  secretary  reported 
that  he  had  canvassed  the  directories  of  Englewood  for  the 
years  1878  and  1879  and  ascertained  that  250  to  300  resi- 
dents of  twenty-five  years  or  more  were  still  living  and 
within  reach  of  this  association  and  that  including  the  chil- 
dren of  these  residents  the  number  would  be  500  to  1,000. 

It  was  decided  to  hold  a  banquet  or  supper  on  October 
23,  at  6  P.  M.,  at  the  Englewood  Men's  Club.  It  was  also 
wisely  decided  that  the  "speeches"  should  be  by  members 
of  the  club  and  limited  to  from  i\ve  to  ten  minutes  and 
that  the  music  also  would  be  furnished  by  members  of  the 
club  and  that  the  price  per  plate  for  the  supper  should  be 
$1.00. 

On  the  evening  of  October  23,  1903,  the  supper  was 
given  and  attended  by  204  residents. 

The  addresses  were  all  good  and  to  the  point  and  par- 
ticular attention  was  directed  to  the  music  furnished  by 
the  members  which  showed  that  they  had  lost  none  of  their 
musical  ability. 

It  was  decided  then  and  there  that  the  supper  should 
be  held  in  the  fall  of  each  succeeding  year.  This  rule  has 
been  followed  with  the  exception  of  one  year  when  the 
contagion  of  the  "flu"  caused  the  Board  of  Health  to  issue 
orders  against  all  public  assemblies. 

At  this  meeting  Air.  A.  G.  Warner  was  elected  presi- 
dent for  a  year  and  J.  IT.  Brayton,  secretary.  At  the  last 
meeting  and  supper  held  in  the  Masonic  Temple  on  Went- 


160  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

worth  Avenue  in  the  fall  of  1921,  Prof.  John  B.  McGinty, 
one  of  the  oldest  settlers,  was  elected  president  and  Steven 
B.  Maynard  was  re-elected  secretary  for  the  twelfth  time. 

As  much  as  we  would  like  to  give  a  full  list  of  all  of  the 
old  settlers  of  Englewood  it  would  be  impossible,  not  only 
in  the  matter  of  space  but  in  the  fact  that  in  the  past  twenty 
years  but  few  survive  of  the  original  members.  The  many 
new  members,  while  they  can  qualify  for  membership, 
having  lived  here  for  25  years,  are  not  what  we  would 
consider  "Old  Settlers  of  Englewood." 

One  of  the  pleasantest  events  in  Englewood's  social 
life  is  the  annual  supper  given  by  this  association.  Year 
by  year  the  speakers  and  "prominent  members"  change  and 
many  a  chair  is  vacant  that  a  year  before  held  a  congenial 
old  comrade  and  friend. 

We  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  naming  some  of 
the  oldest  residents  of  Englewood  at  the  time  the  first 
meetings  of  the  old  settlers  were  held.  Prominent  among 
them  were :  Air.  and  Mrs.  Hugh  Chittick,  who  came  here 
in  1855,  as  did  also  Luther  W.  Crocker,  who  was  followed 
by  his  wife  in  1866.  Albert  Colvin  and  his  good  wife  came 
here  in  1856.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  M.  Clark  and  their 
family  came  here  in  1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  E.  Burkey, 
whose  family  came  here  before  the  '50s.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
George  N.  Chase  came  here  in  1869,  the  same  year  as  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Champlin.  Clark  E.  Calligan  came  here  in 
1872  and  William  Bromsted  came  about  the  same  time,  as 
did  the  Bach  family,  including  Gideon  Abel  and  the 
younger  members.  Captain  and  Mrs.  A.  W.  Bristol  also 
came  here  in  1872. 

Mrs.  Henry  Benseman  came  to  Halsted  Street  about 
the  same  time.  Fire  Marshal  George  Byrne  and  Mrs. 
Byrne  also  came  about  this  date.  Fletcher  N.  Barney  and 
his  brother  and  partner,  J.  W.,  came  in  1872.  while  Hon. 
and  Mrs.  P.  T.  Barry  came  in  April  of  1874.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Joseph  Badenoch  came  in  1878,  as  also  did  Frank  D. 
Blish  and  Homer  Bevans.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Bart- 
lett  came  in  1869,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Berg  in 
1877.  W.  O.  Budd  arrived  in  1873.  James  Brayton  came 
in  1860  and  his  wife,  Mrs.  Rosa  B.  Brayton,  in  1871. 
Elmer    W.    Adkinson    and    his    wife,    Ella,    arrived    here 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  161 

March  4,  1873.  The  Armstrong  family,  consisting  of  Har- 
old B.,  George,  Charles  and  J.  J.,  came  about  this  time,  as 
also  did  George  W.  Antis  and  family.  Harry  O.  and  Mrs. 
Wilson  came  in  the  early  '80s,  while  the  family  of  "Benny" 
S.  Wilson  came  in  1872. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Airs.  Daniel  Stanley  Wentworth 
also  date  to  the  early  70s,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Whitley 
came  in  1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs  A.  G.  Warner  landed  first  in 
Englewood  July  1,  1867.  G.  H.  Wadsworth  in  1884. 
George  Walther  and  family  in  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Weir  the  same  year.  Air.  and  Airs.  E.  G.  Wisdom  in  1869. 
Samuel  J.  Wells  in  1873.  Air.  and  Airs.  D.  W.  Terriere  in 
March,  1873.  In  July,  1872,  came  the  Thearle  family. 
Air.  and  Airs.  Thompson  in  1874,  and  Henry  W.  Thompson 
in  1873.  Airs.  W.  J.  Terpenny  and  family  came  in  1873. 
Mr.  and  Airs.  Charles  S.  Thornton  arrived  about  the  same 
time,  as  also  did  Hugh  Taggart  and  family.  August  Tid- 
holm  came  in  1873. 

Air.  and  Airs.  F.  R.  Speer  came  in  1868,  and  E.  P. 
Summers  in  1867,  and  E.  G.  Stetterson  in  1871.  Ah\ 
and  Mrs.  A.  J.  Sittig  and  Air.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Salter 
came  in  1881.  Charles  Salmon  came  about  this  time  also. 
Elliott  W.  Sproul  came  in  April,  1890.  Air.  and  Mrs.  O. 
N.  Smith  in  1872.  Air.  and  ATrs.  Gray  A.  Stoddard  in 
1879.  Airs.  A.  Al.  Sherwood  in  1860,  and  Air.  and  Mrs. 
William  Spink  in  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  L.  Stabbing 
came  about  this  time.  Air.  and  Airs.  Jesse  Sherwood  came 
in  the  early  '70s,  as  did  Samuel  SchifT  and  family.  Airs. 
George  T.  Robie  came  in  1879.  Air.  and  Airs.  Fred  L. 
Reid  in  1880.  B.  B.  Redfidd  in  1876,  and  in  the  same 
year  came  the  Rolfe  family.  James  Read  came  in  1870. 
E.  G.  Peterson  and  family  located  here  in  December,  1871, 
while  Air.  and  Airs.  S.  E.  Proud  foot  came  in  1867.  Isaac 
H.  Pervier  came  in  1880.  Air.  and  Airs.  Clark  T.  North- 
rup  came  in  1873.  Air.  and  Airs.  W.  N.  Nichols  and  Anna 
Nichols  came  in  1867.  George  Neagle  in  1880.  Air.  and 
Airs.  Aloroney  came  in  the  early  70s,  as  also  did  Capt. 
and  Airs.  George  R.  AIcKnight.  The  Alaynard  family  cam^ 
here  in  1869  and  George  Aluirhead  a  year  before. 

Timothy  Alolony  came  here  in  April,  1871.  Air.  and 
Airs.   George   W-    Murray   in    1873,      Robert    AlcEldowney 


10. 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


©   -    5=    ft> 
O   g    O   § 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  163 

came  here  in  August,  1873,  and  the  family  followed  in 
1874.  Air.  and  Airs.  A.  W.  McCornack  came  in  1876. 
Prof.  J.  B.  McGinty  in  1870.  Mrs.  C.  E.  Mcintosh  in 
1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herman  Lucht  came  in  1871,  as  also 
did  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Loomis.  The  Lanyon  family  came 
here  July  3,  1874.  John  Brent,  Charles  H.  and  Dixon  T., 
Dr.  C.  H.  Lovewell  and  his  charming  wife  came  January 
26,  1875.  E.  E.  Loomis  came  in  1878.  Captain  Eli  R. 
Lewis  came  in  November,  1869. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  L.  Kimmey  came  in  1872.  The 
Kirks,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  and  Ed  Jr.,  in  1878.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  H.  L.  Kent  came  in  1867.  Air.  C.  H.  Knight  in 
1874,  and  Kate  S.  Kellogg  in  1871.  The  Keating  family 
came  in  the  early  70s.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Jenkins  came 
in  1872.  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Josenhans  came  here  in  1858. 
Air.  and  Mrs.  F.  R.  Johnson  came  in  1870.  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  F.  A.  Hardin  came  in  1878.  Mrs.  ].  Hardacre  cam? 
in  1872.  Mr.  and  Airs.  L.  C.  Hogan  in  1871.  H.  R. 
Hurlbut  in  1875.  Air.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Hunter  in  1£7° 
Mr.  and  Airs.  William  Holmes  in  1865.  Mrs.  Mary  C. 
Haight  in  1857.  Mrs.  George  II.  FTull  in  \^72.  Airs.  F. 
AI.  Hawk  in  1870.  Al.  F.  Ilorine  in  Afarch,  1873.  FT.  H. 
Gross  in  1875.  E.  J.  Griffith  in  1872.  Airs.  Barbara  Al. 
Gerber  in  April,  1858.  Airs.  AL  L.  Gruber  in  1879.  Anna 
Garabrand  in  1868.     J.  R.  Gallagher  in  1875. 

Air.  and  Airs.  J.  F.  Foster  in  1876.  John  P.  Fowler  in 
1878.  Jerome  L.  Foreign  in  1872.  Albert  J.  Fisher  in 
1872.      Edward    Flanagan    in    1872.      George    S.    Eddy    in 

1872.  Air.  and  Airs.  William  Pegram  in  1874.  Air.' and 
Airs.  George  A.  Erhart  in  1879.  J.  M.  Edson  in  1879. 
Air.  and  Airs.  F.  G.  Dahlgren  in  1876.  Air.  and  Mrs.  J.  J. 
Delaney  in  1872.  J.  C.  Dennison  in  1873.  Air.  and  Airs. 
W.  C.  Dodge  in  1869.  Alary  E.  Danforth  in  1872.  John 
P.  Condit  came  in  October,  1867.  Air.  and  Airs.  E.  L. 
Crim  in  1879.  Air.  and  Airs.  S.  F.  Champion  May  1,  1872. 
Air.  and  Airs.  Robert  Craig  in  August,   1878. 

W.  Al.  Bartlett  in  1879.  W.  T.  Bogg  in  1882.  Joseph 
Couthoui  in  1870.  Air.  and  Airs.  T.  H.Beckwith  in  1878. 
Air.   and   AFrs.   A.    Berend  in    1877.      Airs.   John   Byrne   in 

1873.  Alisses  Al.  L.  and  PI.  C.  Burroughs"  in  1876.  Air. 
and   Airs.    ]".    G.    Elsdon   in    1879.      Air.   and    Airs.    H.    D. 


164  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Fulton  in  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  W.  George  in  1883.  O. 
N.  Goldsmith  in  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  C.  Halliwell  in 
1879.  H.  J.  Houghton  in  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Hazzard  in  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jefferson  Hodgkins  in 
1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  J.  Mitchell  in  1876.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  A.  McDougal  in  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Mar- 
shall "in  1872.  Mrs.  L.  A.  McFarland,  1875.  D.  W. 
Rossiter,  1873.    A.  L.  Ringo,  1882.     D.  C.  Smith,  1885. 

Mr.  and  Airs.  John  E.  Yreeland,  1872.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fred  C.  Behmeyer,  1871.  Airs.  L.  S.  Bushnell,  1883.  G, 
A.  Bueter,  1881.  Elizabeth  Reals,  1881.  Mrs.  K.  Briggs, 
1882.  Chauncey  M.  Miller,  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  O. 
Budd,  1883.  Air.  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Dudgeon,  1873.  Wil- 
liam H.  Dunn,  1880.  Air.  and  Airs.  F.  H.  Dennison,  1877. 
Air.  and  Airs.  P.  Drew,  1881.  Airs.  C.  S.  Renault,  1879. 
Henry  P.  Dering,  1884.  Airs.  AI.  Dobson,  1881.  Col.  and 
Airs.  J.  G.  Everest,  1872.  John  F.  Eberhart,  1859.  Clay- 
ton J.  Embree,  1886.  The  Newman  family  came  in  the 
early  '60s.  Belle  L.  Gorton,  1883.  Air.  and  Airs.  John  S. 
Gregory,  1875.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Guthrie,  1884.  A. 
L.  Grossmith,  1885.  Air.  and  Airs.  P.  S.  Hudson,  1882. 
Albert  Hisgen,  1876.     Dr.  A.  F.  Harris,  1884. 

Air.  and  Airs.  Jacob  Kommers  and  family  came  here 
in  the  '60s  and  lived  on  School  Street  (Princeton  Avenue). 
just  south  of  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad.  Airs.  Jacob  Theis 
and  Airs.  J.  II.  Webb  are  daughters  who  still  live  in  Engle- 
wood. 

Air.  and  Airs.  George  X.  Chase  came  here  in  the  70s. 
"Uncle  George"  was  a  pioneer  merchant  and  later  in  the 
livery  business.  Airs.  Chase  survives ;  also  a  daughter,  Miss 
Jennie. 

L.  L.  Stodder,  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Englewood, 
in  June  of  1884,  moved  from  69th  and  Charles  streets  to 
526  Englewood  Avenue.  With  two  brief  exceptions  the 
family  have  lived  in  the  house  ever  since.  His  two  daugh- 
ters, M.  S.  Stodder  and  I.  M.  Stodder,  and  his  younger 
son,  A.  L.  Stodder,  are  still  living  in  the  old  place.  The 
older  son,  L.  H.  Stodder,  is  living  in  Los  Angeles,  hav- 
ing moved  there  in  1911.  L.  L.  Stodder  died  in  1901 
and  bis  wife  in  1898. 

The    Bayne   family   came   to    Englewood   in    1887   and 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  165 

resided  here  until  1913.  II.  M.  Bayne  is  now  a  resident  of 
Waterloo,  la.,  but  keeps  up  his  interests  here.  Gerald  E. 
Sullivan  first  came  to  Englewood  as  a  reporter  for  the  old 
Chicago  Times  in  1875  and  brought  his  family  in  1886. 

We  have  secured  the  earlier  records  of  Englewood  and 
given  the  date  of  arrival  of  all  of  whom  we  could  secure 
any  information.  But  those  names  above  appear  on  the 
records  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  and  were  more  or 
less  prominent  in  the  social  affairs  of  their  day. 

The  1923  officers  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Club  of  Engle- 
wood were :  President,  Gerald  E.  Sullivan ;  Secretary, 
Stephen  Maynard ;  Treasurer,  Jay  W.  Barney. 

The  last  reunion  and  supper  of  the  Old  Settlers  of 
Englewood  Club,  was  held  at  the  Englewood  Masonic 
Temple  the  evening  of  October  25th  and  was  attended 
by  about  200.  The  following  officers  were  elected  to 
serve  for  the  coming  year:  President,  Fred  B.  Read; 
Vice  President,  Mrs.  Margaret  McGurn  Delaney;  Secre- 
tary, Stephen  W.  Maynard  ;  and  Treasurer,  J.  W.  Barney. 

The  spirit  of  the  assembly  each  year  is  as  joyful  as  in 
the  past  and  we  will  close  our  chapter  on  the  Old  Settlers 
by  quoting  a  poem  recited  at  the  first  meeting. 

"Has  any  old  fellow  got  mixed  with  the  boys? 
If  there  has,  take  him  out  without  making  a  noise. 
Hang  the  almanac's  cheat  and  the  catalogue's  spite, 
Old  Time  is  a  liar !     We're  twenty  tonight. 

We're  twenty!  We're  twenty!  Who  says  we  are  more? 
He's  tipsy !     Young  jackanapes,  show  him  the  door. 
Gray  temples  at  twenty !     Yes,  white,  if  you  please ; 
Where   the   snowflakes    fall   thickest,   there's    nothing   can 
freeze.'' 

Meade  Post  Relief  Corps 
Meade  Wroman's  Relief  Corps  No.  136,  auxiliary  to 
Gen.  George  G.  Meade  Post  No.  444,  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  was  organized  July  11,  1889,  with  fifteen  char- 
ter members ;  Mrs.  Leah  A.  Strang  as  president.  Mary 
States,  Lizzie  Abbott,  Capitola  Hobb,  Eliza  Carr,  Mary 
McDonald,  Etta  Gillman,  Clara  Reading,  Emily  Woods, 
Fannie  Herrick,  Elvira  Kirk,  Lizzie  Erickson,  Leah  A. 
Strang,  all  have  passed  into   the   great   beyond,   leaving  a 


166  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

record  of  good  deeds  and  a  lesson  in  charity  and  patriotism 
behind  them,  Mrs.  Bertha  Erickson,  Mrs.  Julia  Knight, 
Mrs.  Ella  B.  Strang  being  the  only  surviving  charter  mem- 
bers. Meade  Corps  has  always  been  foremost  in  charity 
work,  helping  the  poor  and  needy  regardless  of  creed.  It 
has  done  much  to  relieve  the  suffering  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  the  Civil  War  veterans  and  their  dependent 
ones   whenever  possible. 

Meade  Corps  has  grown  in  membership  from  fifteen 
members  to  280  to  date.  Meade  Corps  has  always  assisted 
the  Post  in  every  way,  socially  and  financially,  and  always 
in  an  atmosphere  of  harmony.  It  has  always  given  a  dinner 
on  Decoration  Day  to  the  comrades  and  an  annual  New 
Year  dinner  also,  with  many  patriotic  and  social  affairs. 
Meade  Corps  Sewing  Circle  was  organized  with  two  mem- 
bers by  Mrs.  Barron,  a  past  president,  and  it  now  has  a 
membership  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  doing  a  wonderful 
work.  During  the  World  War  Meade  Corps  earned  a  name 
which  will  last.     For  generosity  it  has  no  equal. 

In  1918  Meade  Corps  worked  with  the  Navy  League 
and  Red  Cross  and  furnished  socks,  sweaters  and  kits  for 
the  boys  in  service.  It  also  gave  a  large  donation  for  an 
ambulance  for  use  in  France.  In  1919  Meade  Corps 
worked  along  the  same  lines  and  visited  the  disabled  sol- 
diers in  the  different  hospitals  and  assisted  them  wonder- 
fully. 

Meade  Corps  has  several  members  in  homes  throughout 
the  city  which  it  takes  great  pleasure  in  looking  after. 
They  also  secured  a  lot  in  Oak  Hill  Cemetery  to  care  for 
their  dead.  In  1920  when  the  organization  presented  the 
G.  A.  R.  with  something  like  $3,500.00,  Meade  Corps  was 
at  the  head  of  the  list. 

In  1921  the  World  War  Wreath  Fund  which  was  raised 
to  enable  the  order  to  place  a  wreath  on  each  and  every 
casket  returned  from  overseas,  found  Meade  Corps  at  the 
top  of  the  list,  and  Mrs.  Margretha  Lenert,  president, 
1921,  took  an  active  part  in  placing  the  wreaths,  as  did 
many  of  the  members,  and  for  1922  the  World  War  Vet- 
erans' Fund  found  Meade  Corps  way  ahead,  and  as  holiday 
times  come  around  Meade  Corps  fills  up  the  baskets  with 
goodies  for  the  needy.     This  is  a  small  portion  of  the  good 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  167 

Meade  Corps  has  done  and  they  expect  to  do  better  and 
more  charity  work  this  year  than  ever  before  under  the 
able  leadership  of  their  worthy  president,  Mary  E.  Mur- 
doch. Mrs.  Ida  Johnson  is  senior  vice  president  of  the 
department  and  chairman  of  the  executive  committee. 
Never  has  a  year  gone  by  without  Meade  Corps  presenting 
at  least  one  flag  and  usually  more  to  some  church  or 
Sunday   school. 

Meade  Corps  gives  social  affairs  regularly,  which  makes 
it  interesting,  and  the  patriotic  work  is  fascinating.  Meade 
Corps  is  always  ready  to  help  anyone  in  need. 

President,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Murdock ;  Senior  Vice  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  Gertrude  O'Brien ;  Junior  Vice  President,  Mrs. 
Delia  Swingler ;  Secretary,  Miss  Lillian  Pine ;  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  Mary  Cochrane;  Chaplain,  Miss  Mary  Gibson;  Con- 
ductor, Mrs.  Ellen  Dammit ;  Guard,  Mrs.  Frances  Range ; 
Assistant  Conductor,  Mrs.  Helen  Hutton;  Assistant  Guard, 
Mrs.  Phoebe  Hess ;  Patriotic  Instructor,  Mrs.  Helen  Mil- 
ler; Press  Correspondent,  Mrs.  Katherine  Kent;  Musician, 
Mrs.  Aland  Miller ;  First  Color  Bearer,  Mable  Shires ; 
Second  Color  Bearer,  Phoebe  Hess ;  Third  Color  Bearer, 
Jennie  Graves  ;  Fourth  Color  Bearer,  Marie  Horn. 

Mrs.  Miller  has  been  patriotic  instructor  for  twenty 
years.  Meade  Corps  is  ever  ready  to  meet  all  obligations 
and  defend  Old  Glory  at  all  times. 

Early  History  of  Meade  Post  and  Other 
Veteran  Organizations 

"The  Englewood  Union  Veterans'  Club"  was  organized 
in  1878.  The  first  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  "hose 
house,"  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue,  F.  E.  Shan- 
drew  presiding.  Later  Col.  J.  T.  Foster  was  chosen  as  pre- 
siding officer.  Of  those  taking  an  active  part  were  the 
following:  Col.  J.  T.  Foster,  J.  E.  Vreeland,  W.  C.  Shaw, 
A.  W.  McCornack,  Joseph  Hardacre,  William  Eakins,  and 
a  little  later  Capt.  H.  A.  Parker. 

Through  the  influence  of  this  organization  a  charter 
was  secured  from  the  state  under  the  name  of  the  "Engle- 
wood Memorial  Association."  The  capital  stock  was  lim- 
ited to  four  thousand  dollars  ($4,000.00).  Something  in 
excess  of  three  thousand  was  sold  and  with  this  the  old 
Memorial  Hall  at  63rd  Street  near  Princeton  Avenue  was 


168  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

erected.  The  cornerstone  was  to  be  laid  July  4,  1881, 
and  arrangement  had  been  made  to  have  present  Gen. 
P.  H.  Sheridan,  then  commanding-  at  Chicago.  President 
Garfield  was  shot  July  2nd,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
fourth  Capt.  Parker  received  the  following  telegram :  "Ow- 
ing to  the  condition  of  the  President  I  deem  it  my  duty 
to  remain  at  headquarters.  Signed,  P.  H.  Sheridan." 
The  cornerstone,  however,  was  laid.  Following  this  was  an 
old  fashioned  Fourth  of  July  celebration.  Hon.  Irus  Coy 
from  the  yards  gave  the  oration.  The  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  read  and  patriotic  songs  were  sung.  This 
service  was  held  in  the  "scrub  oak  grove,"  between  Yale 
and  Stewart  avenues  and  65th  and  66th  streets.  Special 
features  of  the  afternoon  program  was  a  "greased  pole" 
mounted  with  a  two  dollar  bill.  We  had  also  a  greased 
pig,  contributed  by  Clark  Northrup.  These  all  contributed 
to  the  hilarity  of  the  day.  The  four  cannon  now  in  front 
of  the  G.  A.  R.  Hall  on  Princeton  Avenue  were  secured 
from  the  government  through  the  influence  of  General  John 
A.  Logan.  They  were  originally  in  front  of  the  old 
Memorial  Hall.  Some  notable  persons  attended,  and  events 
were  staged  in  this  old  hall.  Mrs.  John  Brown,  second 
wife  of  old  John  Brown,  was  secured  for  an  evening's 
entertainment.  She  gave  the  club  his  photograph  and  her 
own,  also  a  lock  of  his  hair  and  some  letters  he  had  written 
from  Kansas  to  her  in  northern  New  York;  also  a  sketch 
in  his  own  handwriting  of  what  he  proposed  to  do  in 
Kansas.  We  received,  also,  an  original  letter  from  Garrett 
Smith,  enclosing  fifty  dollars.  We  were  entertained  one 
evening  by  Schuyler  Colfax,  vice  president,  then  living  at 
South  Bend,  Ind.  Another  evening  we  entertained  as  our 
guest  the  sergeant  who  avenged  the  tragic  death  of  Col. 
Ellsworth.  Another  evening  we  had  Plarris,  a  mulatto 
who  figured  in  the  story  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin. 

The  Englewood  Veterans'  Club  had  and  still  retains 
original  letters  from  Generals  Grant,  Sherman,  Ben  Har- 
rison, Garfield  and  others.  This  club  was  preceded  by 
Hilliard  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  which  went  out  of  existence  about 
1875.  This  post  had  a  short  but  brilliant  career.  One  of 
its  members,  Major  Barton,  was  the  author  of  a  military 
play  known  as  the  "Union   Spy."     This  post  undertook  to 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  169 

present  it  to  the  Englewood  public,  which  they  did  at  the 
old  Englewood  High  School.  It  was  well  received  and 
was  regarded  with  flattering  approval.  The  principal  parts 
were  taken  as  follows:  R.  J.  Colburn,  the  Spy;  Joe  Hard- 
acre  was  the  Confederate  and  Col.  J.  T.  Foster  represent- 
ing Gen.  Grant,  to  whom  he  bore  a  striking  resemblance. 
At  a  later  date  they  undertook  to  present  it  to  one  of  the 
near-by  suburbs,  but  it  was  a  financial  failure  and  went 
upon  the  rocks. 

The  Veterans'  Club  in  the  early  days  was  an  active,  alert 
organization,  local  in  character,  but  they  became  convinced 
later  that  the  cause  of  the  veterans  would  be  best  conserved 
by  Meade  Post,  national  in  character,  and  to  this  post,  in 
trust,  they  assigned  their  stock  in  the  Memorial  Association, 
together  with  all  the  pictures  and  relics  which  they  had 
secured  during  their  lifetime.  Meade  Post  was  organized 
in  May,  1884.  Its  first  commander  was  Charles  W.  St'n- 
son,  village  blacksmith  and  hero  of  Gettysburg,  and  at  his 
urgent  request  the  name  Meade  was  taken.  Of  the  45 
charter  members  but  one  now  remains.  During  the  lifetime 
of  the  Post,  777  members  were  received  into  our  ranks. 
Our  greatest  membership  at  any  one  time  was  275.  Our 
present  membership  is  70. 

Of  the  800  posts  originally  in  the  department  of  Illi- 
nois, there  are  none,  within  our  knowledge,  that  hold  in 
their  own  right  and  title  such  a  building.  It  is  a  financial 
asset  which  is  appreciated  by  our  membership.  It  has  a 
net  income  in  excess  of  $1,000.00  a  year.  It  has  for  a 
number  of  years  paid  all  railroad  fares  to  our  membership, 
to  state  and  national  encampments.  In  addition  it  has 
within  the  last  two  years  paid  two  different  dividends  of 
eight  dollars  each  to  our  membership.  This  showing  is 
very  gratifying  to  our  membership  and  will  be,  doubtless, 
to  all  our  friends.  As  an  organization  it  has  been  true  to 
its  cardinal  principles :  "Fraternity,  charity  and  loyalty." 
It  has  had  in  its  ranks  many  notable  persons.  At  one 
time  in  our  history  we  had  upon  our  rolls  five  ministers  : 
Rev.  Reynolds,  North  Congregational  Church ;  Rev.  Gilbert 
Frederick,  Covenant  Baptist  Church ;  Rev.  Nat  Haynes, 
Christian  Church;  Rev.  Frank  Bruner  and  Rev.  Hyde, 
retired   A  I.   E.   minister. 


170  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Col.  Parker,  principal  of  the  Normal  School,  was  a  vet- 
eran soldier,  a  member  of  Meade  Post  and  highly  patriotic. 
In  his  position  as  head  of  the  Normal  School  he  tendered 
to  Meade  Post  annually  an  invitation  to  be  the  guests  of 
the  school.  For  sixteen  years  and  during  his  lifetime, 
these  invitations  came  and  were  accepted.  We  were  enter- 
tained with  song  and  story  and  with  the  applause  of  parents 
and  children.  In  this  and  other  ways  the  name  and  fame 
of  Meade  Post  was  heralded.  Memorial  Day  is  sacred  to 
all  Grand  Army  men.  During  the  existence  of  this  post 
we  have  never  failed  on  its  annual  occurrence  to  visit  the 
city  of  the  silent  dead  and  there  to  pay  silent  tribute  to 
our  departed  comrades. 

Among  the  posts  of  the  department  of  Illinois,  orig- 
inally in  excess  of  800,  Meade  Post  stands  high.  During 
the  administration  of  Gen.  A.  L.  Schimpff  of  Peoria,  1897, 
Meade  Post  was  invited  to  appear  before  the  state  encamp- 
ment and  exemplify  the  unwritten  work  of  this  order. 
This  invitation  was  accepted  and  the  rendering  was  so  well 
received  that  Gen.  John  C.  Black,  commander  the  following 
year,  extended  to  us  the  same  invitation.  No  other  post 
in  the  department  was  ever  so  honored.  This  post  in  1919 
presented  the  name  of  Henry  D.  Fulton,  as  a  candidate  for 
department  commander.  So  well  was  his  candidacy  re- 
ceived that  all  other  candidates  withdrew  and  he  received 
a  unanimous  election. 

We  have  associated  with  us,  meeting  in  the  G.  A.  R. 
Hall,  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  No.  136,  Tent  No.  5  and 
No.  20  Daughters  of  Veterans,  Camp  No.  8  Sons  of  Vet- 
erans, and  other  societies  of  veterans  and  patriotic  orders. 

The  G.  A.  R.  Hall  is  a  landmark  and  a  patriotic  cen- 
ter. It  is  a  product  of  Meade  Post.  Its  history  is  closely 
allied  with  the  earlier  veteran  organizations  and  it  is  the 
successor  of  them  all.  The  title  and  management  is  in  the 
name  of  the  post  and  will  continue  so,  it  is  believed,  dur- 
ing the  life  of  the  organization.  Beyond  this  no  man  can 
surely  tell,  but  it  is  believed  that  it  will  continue  as  a 
memorial  building,  teaching  love  of  country  and  flag. 

In  closing  this  brief  sketch,  let  me,  in  the  name  of 
George  G.  Meade  Post,  thank  this  community,  the  public 
schools,    the    churches    and    the    citizens    generally    for    the 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  171 

uniform  respect  shown  to  these  men  during-  all  those  years 
from  youth  to  old  age. 

(Submitted  in  fraternity,  charity  and  loyalty  by  H.  D. 
Fulton.) 

How  G.  A.  R.   Memorial  Hall  Was  Built 
Col.  H.  D.  Fulton 

The  story  of  how  Meade  Post  became  possessed  of 
this  fine  memorial  hall  cannot  be  told  in  a  moment.  Such 
a  history  would  be  incomplete  did  it  not  go  back  even 
farther  than  the  life  of  the  Post  itself. 

When  I  came  to  Englewood  thirty-three  years  ago, 
this  Post  was  just  entering  the  second  year  of  its  exist- 
ence, it  having  been  organized  in  May,  1884,  thirty-four 
years  ago  last  May.  There  were,  however,  at  that  time, 
two  other  soldier  organizations  in  Englewood,  known 
respectively  by  the  names  "Englewood  Union  Veterans 
Club/'  a  social  and  political  organization  composed  of 
veterans  of  the  Civil  War,  and  the  "Englewood  Memorial 
Association."  The  Englewood  Veterans  Club  was  a  strong 
organization  composed  of  many  active  and  alert  men, 
then  in  the  prime  of  life.  They  were  a  social  as  well  as 
a  political  organization  and  at  the  time  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  Meade  Post  there  was  something  of  good  natured 
rivalry  between  the  two.  The  Veterans  Club,  being  local 
in  character,  eventually  gave  way  to  the  Grand  Army. 
Out  of  the  Veterans  Club,  and  through  its  needs,  there 
came  a  demand  for  a  meeting  place,  and  the  idea  of  erect- 
ing in  a  modest  way  a  hall  that  would  fill  the  require- 
ments of  the  comrades  and  also  preserve  intact  the  relics 
and  the  memories  of  the  great  struggle  for  the  life  of 
the  nation,  this  Memorial  Association  came.  This  move- 
ment was  inaugurated  in  1881,  sixteen  years  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  It  was  conceived  and  advanced  to  com- 
pletion by  Captain  H.  A.  Parker,  a  former  member  of 
this  Post,  now  deceased,  and  John  Vreeland,  now  a  mem- 
ber of  Meade  Post.  There  were  others  but  these  two 
men  were  the  "batteries,"  and  through  their  energy, 
patriotism  and  force  and  stability  of  character,  the  old 
Memorial  Hall  which  stood  at  63rd  Street  near  Princeton 
Avenue  was  erected.     It  was  a  modest  building  compared 


172  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

to  this  one  which  we  now  occupy.  It  was  financed  largely 
by  Captain  H.  A.  Parker. 

Those  who  contributed  financially  toward  the  erection 
of  this  building,  did  so  under  authority  given  by  the  state 
of  Illinois.  They  were  chartered  by  the  state  as  a  stock 
company  with  corporate  powers.  The  stock  of  said  com- 
pany was  sold  at  face  value,  $10.00  per  share.  Something- 
like  three  hundred  shares  of  stock  were  issued. 

It  was  taken  and  held  almost  without  exception  by 
veterans  of  the  Civil  War.  It  was  controlled  by  a  board 
of  trustees,  nine  in  number,  elected  by  the  stockholders, 
and  it  was  managed  with  as  much  fidelity  and  faithful- 
ness as  ever  exhibited  in  any  enterprise. 

About  1886  Meade  Post  became  tenants  of  the  Memo- 
rial Association,  occupying  the  upper  floors  and  controll- 
ing same.  On  two  different  occasions  the  old  hall  was 
improved  and  added  to,  largely  through  the  influence  ex- 
erted by  this  Post.  At  this  time  and  later  many  of  our 
Post  members  had  become  owners  in  a  small  way  of 
Memorial  stock  and  our  Post  was  largely  represented  upon 
the  board  of  trustees. 

In  1892,  during  my  incumbency  as  commander,  an  old 
resident  of  Englewood  (Mr.  John  Jenkins,  now  deceased), 
presented  Meade  Post  with  five  shares  of  Memorial  stock. 
This  stock  came  to  him  by  inheritance  from  his  father, 
an  early  settler  of  Englewood.  Inheriting  also  the  patriot- 
ism of  the  old  father,  he  conceived  the  idea  that  Meade 
Post  should  control  the  stock  of  this  organization.  This 
was  the  nest  tgg — the  first  property  held  by  Meade  Post. 
By  this  time,  or  very  soon  thereafter,  this  stock  had  risen 
in  value  to  very  much  more  than  par  and  Meade  Post, 
against  some  objectors,  decided  as  a  matter  of  policy  and 
as  a  good  financial  investment,  to  buy  all  the  stock  which 
was  offered  that  they  could  pay  for  at  the  par  or  face 
value,  ten  dollars  per  share.  Captain  Parker,  who  owned, 
with  his  daughter,  the  largest  number  of  shares  of  any 
one  person,  treated  this  Post  with  very  great  consideration 
— offering  and  selling  many  shares  of  his  stock  at  par 
value,  when  the  real  value  was  more  than  double. 

The  Englewood  Union  Veterans  Club  was  the  owner 
of  twenty-five  or  more  shares  and  upon  their  dissolution, 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  173 

probably  in  1894  or  1895,  it  was  by  vote  transferred  to 
Meade  Post.  They  were  also  the  owners  of  the  decora- 
tions upon  these  walls  and  many  relics  and  memorials 
which  had  come  to  them  by  gift,  purchase,  or  otherwise. 
These  were  also  transferred,  in  trust,  to  Meade  Post. 
In  1905  the  old  Memorial  Hall  located  at  63rd  Street  near 
Princeton  Avenue  was  sold  to  the  Chicago  Elevated  Rail- 
road Company  for  $12,000.00.  At  that  time  Meade  Post 
owned  or  controlled  slightly  over  one-third  of  the  stock, 
and  our  share  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  amounted  to 
about  $4,350.00. 

It  was  the  desire  of  Meade  Post  and  their  friends  that 
this  old  memorial  organization  be  continued  and  that 
another  and  better  building  be  erected.  The  vote  of  our 
Post  was  cast  solidly  against  the  dissolution  of  the  old 
Memorial  organization,  but  we  were  outvoted  in  a  closely 
contested  fight  in  which  it  was  decided  to  dissolve  the 
old  organization  and  divide  the  proceeds  among  the  stock- 
holders. Meade  Post  then  was  the  only  organized  body 
of  veterans  remaining  in  Englewood.  If  further  action 
was  to  be  taken  along  the  line  of  a  memorial  building  it 
must  be  initiated  by  this  Post. 

I  need  not  tell  you — some  of  you  remember — that 
there  was  vigorous  opposition  against  further  effort  along 
this  line,  but  there  were  also  those  wTho  had  the  faith, 
courage  and  foresight  to  advocate  the  building  of  this 
hall.  I  think  there  has  never  been  more  stirring  times 
among  the  veterans  of  Englewood  members  of  Meade 
Post — and  their  friends — than  during  the  few  weeks  pre- 
ceding the  decision  to  go  forward.  It  seems  almost  provi- 
dential that  the  lot  upon  which  this  building  now  stands 
was  at  that  time  for  sale.  There  were  none  who  objected 
to  the  location,  and  this  lot  with  cottage  was  purchased 
for  $3,500.00  cash.  The  cottage  was  removed  to  the  rear 
and  repaired  at  a  cost  of  $350.00  or  $400.00.  We  received 
from  the  railroad  company,  in  addition  to  the  purchase 
price,  the  old  building,  provided  it  be  removed  at  once. 

In  order  to  secure  the  old  building  and  use  it  to  the 
best  advantage  we  were  obliged  to  proceed  at  once.  The 
old  building  was  wrecked  and  practically  all  of  it  was 
worked  into  the  new.     The  upper  arch  memorial  window 


174  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

and  the  plate  glass  window,  now  in  front,  are  just  as 
they  appeared  in  the  old  building.  We  had  but  little 
money  remaining,  probably  less  than  $300.00,  and  we  were 
unable  to  arrange  for  a  loan  sufficient  to  insure  the  com- 
pletion of  the  building.  Even  with  this  condition,  we 
were  neither  dismayed  nor  discouraged.  We  were  strong 
in  faith  and  courageous  in  the  belief  that  this  building 
would  be  built  and  that  the  rentals  and  income  would, 
properly  husbanded,  take  care  of  the  enterprise,  if  not 
eventually  pay  for  it.  The  result,  as  shown  after  thirteen 
years,  is  conclusive  evidence  that  the  Post,  by  its  action, 
made  no  mistake.  Suffice  it  to  say,  in  reference  to  the 
financing  of  this  proposition,  that  every  bill  during  con- 
struction was  paid  promptly  when  it  became  due,  and 
during  all  these  years  since,  the  credit  and  honor  of 
George  G.  Meade  Post  has  not  been  questioned  or  impaired. 
The  indebtedness  upon  the  completion  of  the  building  was 
more  than  $7,300.00.  For  that  amount  we  were  indebted 
to  one  of  our  own  number  who  had  paid  all  bills  of 
construction  as  they  became  due  and  to  him  was  given  a 
mortgage  for  that  amount,  bearing  five  per  cent  interest, 
without  commission.  This  loan,  at  that  time,  was  regarded 
as  only  temporary  till  the  money  could  be  secured  else- 
where. This  mortgage  does  not  appear  upon  the  records, 
but  the  indebtedness  has  been  totally  cancelled  and  this 
Post  stands  financially  upon  a  higher  plane  than  ever 
before  attained.  Four  years  ago  when  our  indebtedness 
was  $2,000.00.  I  reported  as  follows  :  "If  1  am  permitted 
to  look  into  the  future,  I  would  say  that  there  are  those 
here  tonight,  including  a  host  of  Grand  Army  men,  mem- 
bers of  Meade  Post,  Women's  Relief  Corps,  Daughters  of 
Veterans,  who  will  within  three  or  four  years  assemble 
around  this  banqueting  board  and  the  principal  business 
of  the  evening,  one  that  will  bring  joy  and  gladness  to 
our  hearts,  will  be  the  burning  of  the  mortgage,  signifi- 
cant of  the  cancelled  debt."  That  hour  has  arrived.  How 
has  this  result  been  attained?  Not  by  chance,  but  by 
business  sagacity  and  methods.  When  this  building  was 
completed,  some  fifty  or  sixty  members  of  Meade  Post 
assembled  to  devise  ways  to  furnish  seats  and  carpet  for 
this   hall.      Between   three   and    four   hundred   dollars    was 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  175 

donated  for  that  purpose,  none  paying  more  than  ten 
dollars.  This  is  the  only  money  contributed  directly  or 
indirectly  by  any  individual,  and  this  was  for  furnishing 
and  not  for  the  erection  of  the  building. 

Let  me  indicate  the  different  variety  of  plans  which 
came  before  this  Post  as  to  its  future  policy  after  its 
completion.  There  were  those,  then,  as  there  have  been 
since,  who  advocated  the  carrying  of  this  indebtedness, 
simply  paying  the  interest  and  necessary  running  expenses 
and  using  the  money  in  excess  of  this  as  our  own.  But 
the  policy  of  the  Post  was  indicated  by  a  strong  majority 
in  the  adoption  of  the  following  by-law,  to-wit :  Article 
3,  Section  7,  as  amended  January  6,  1906.  The  building 
fund  shall  be  composed  of  such  sums  as  shall  be  paid  to 
the  quartermaster  of  the  Post  as  the  income  from  the 
Post  building  and  grounds  at  6234  and  36  Princeton 
Avenue  and  such  other  sums  as  the  Post  may  by  vote 
transfer  or  assign  to  this  fund.  The  building  fund  shall 
not  be  drawn  upon  by  the  Post  or  paid  out  for  any 
purpose  other  than  the  payment  of  the  interest  or  prin- 
cipal of  indebtedness  due  on  account  of  the  Post  buildings 
and  grounds  or  for  taxes,  assessments,  or  other  debts 
and  charges  against  same. 

This  policy  has  not  been  changed,  but  rigidly  adhered 
to  during  all  the  succeeding  years.  Now  that  the  debt 
is   cancelled   there   is   no   necessity   of   change. 

We  are  organized  under  the  laws  of  Illinois  as  a 
corporate  body,  without  profit.  This  property  is  held  in 
our  corporate  name,  "Geo.  G.  Meade  Post  No.  444, 
G.  A.  R.,  Dept.  of  Illinois."  It  belongs  to  Meade  Post 
and  their  successors.  We  may  pass  away  or  lose  our 
identity  as  members  of  this  Post  but  this  property  belongs 
to  the  organization.  There  are  no  inherited  rights.  We 
are  not  a  stock  company,  but  a  body  of  men.  In  this 
case  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War  who  have  associated  them- 
selves together  for  a  common  purpose.  Like  our  organi- 
zation, "The  Grand  Army,"  there  is  no  recognized  rank. 
Every  comrade  stands  upon  the  same  footing  and  has  one 
vote  and  an  equal  share  in  all  that  pertains  to  this  prop- 
erty. No  disposition  of  this  property  can  be  made  save 
upon  a  properly  called  meeting  in   which  all  the   facts   in 


176  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

relation  to  the  proposed  sale  or  change  are  set  forth. 
This  shall  be  proclaimed  officially,  giving  time  and  place 
at  which  such  proposition  shall  be  submitted  to  the  mem- 
bership. At  such  meeting  comrades  are  allowed  to  vote 
either  in  person  or  by  proxy.  It  is  entirely  possible,  but 
not  probable,  that  a  few  comrades  who  are  spared  to  the 
last  might  dispose  of  this  property  and  divide  the  pro- 
ceeds.    Such  disposition  would  be  entirely  legal. 

The  question  has  arisen,  and  doubtless  will  again,  as 
to  the  final  disposition  of  this  property.  It  is  one  which 
must  be  considered  in  an  impartial  and  candid  manner. 
The  Post,  at  present,  are  not  united  upon  any  proposition. 
When  this  building  was  erected  the  dominant  thought 
was  to  secure  for  ourselves  and  our  old  age  a  home 
where  we  could  enjoy  the  afternoon  of  our  lives  in  quiet 
serenity.  The  idea  then,  of  preserving  the  building  as  a 
memorial,  was  not  seriously,  if  at  all,  considered,  but  now 
there  is  apparently  such  a  desire.  It  is  advocated  by 
many  of  our  friends  of  the  younger  generation.  It  is  not 
opposed  by  our  membership,  but  we  are  agreed  upon  this, 
that  we  name  our  successor  or  successors.  That  during 
the  life  of  this  Post  the  control  and  proceeds  of  this 
property  shall  go  to  the  benefit  and  support  of  our  organi- 
zation and  its  membership.  Should  it  finally  be  turned 
over,  in  trust,  to  some  other  organization  to  preserve  as  a 
memorial,  Meade  Post  reserves  the  right  to  say  which  one. 

Ours  is  a  patriotic  organization,  our  membership  has 
been  tested  in  the  fire  of  battle,  in  the  struggle  for  the 
perpetuity  of  the  nation.  It  is  only  natural  that  we  should 
look  to  those  who  have  been  closely  allied  with  us  during 
all  these  years  to  succeed  us.  From  this  point  of  view, 
"The  Woman's  Relief  Corps,"  "The  Daughters  of  Veter- 
ans," "The  Sons  of  Veterans"  have  strong  claims  for 
consideration. 

The  disposition  and  future  of  this  memorial  building 
is  one  of  the  unsolved  problems.  It  cannot  be  settled  by 
any  individual.  It  requires  not  personal  but  Post  action. 
It  requires  also  majority  action.  The  soldiers  of  the  war 
received  distinction  because  of  their  fighting  qualities,  but 
in  these  later  years,  in  our  councils  and  deliberations,  we 
desire  most  of  all,  peace.     When  this  problem  is  solved, 


LODGES  AND  ORGANIZATIONS  177 

as  I  believe  it  will  be,  it  will  be  by  practically  unanimous 
vote  and  the  solution  will  represent  the  combined  wisdom 
of  all  our  membership.  I  need  not  allude  to  the  advan- 
tages of  this  memorial  hall;  we  have  enjoyed  them  since 
the  day  of  its  completion.  They  are  conceded  and  recog- 
nized by  all.  They  give  to  this  Post  a  distinction  and 
standing  not  enjoyed  by  any  other  Post  .in  Cook  County, 
possibly  not  by  any  other  in  the  state.  It  is  believed 
that  Meade  Post  by  reason  of  its  central  location  in  a 
great  residence  district,  with  its  own  building,  may  be 
among  the  last  to  give  up  its  charter. 

I  have  traced  the  history  briefly  of  this  enterprise  from 
its  inception.  In  it  all  I  have  seen  little  selfishness  and 
greed,  but  much  of  sacrifice  and  devotion  to  a  common 
cause.  Many  of  the  early  actors  identified  with  this 
movement  have  passed  to  their  reward.  I  note,  of  the 
seventy-seven,  who  thirteen  years  ago  contributed  toward 
the  furnishing  of  this  hall,  of  which  previous  mention  has 
been  made,  forty-two  have  been  called  to  their  reward. 
I  note  further  that  of  the  forty-five  charter  members, 
who  organized  and  constituted  Meade  Post  thirty-four 
years  ago,  but  one  still  holds  membership  in  it. 

We  cherish  and  revere  the  memories  and  achievements 
of  all  these  men  who  gave  of  their  time  and  of  their 
talent  in  championing  and  advancing  this  cause.  They 
builded  better  than  they  knew.  This  building,  with  its 
hallowed  and  sacred  memories  and  associations,  will  sur- 
vive the  builders,  and  even  when  we  are  passed  away  will 
stand  here  as  a  monument,  a  silent  witness,  to  the  fidelity 
and  faithfulness  of  the  men  who,  by  their  valor  and 
heroic  efTort,  saved  the  nation. 

St.  Bernard's  Hotel  Dieu 
Until  the  year  1905  there  was  no  hospital  in  this 
vicinity  except  Englewood  Union  Hospital,  at  64th  Street 
and  Union  Avenue.  This  institution,  which  has  since 
developed  into  the  up-to-date  and  efficient  Englewood 
Hospital  at  62nd  and  Green  streets,  was  at  that  time 
housed  in  a  group  of  small  buildings,  inadequate  as  to 
accommodations  and  hampered  as  to  resources.  No 
Sisters'  hospital  was  nearer  than  Mercy  Hospital  at  26th 
Street  and   Calumet  Avenue.     The   material   needs   of  the 


178  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

parish  were  great,  but  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  sick  and 
dying  outweighed  all  other  considerations  in  the  mind  of 
this  faithful  shepherd  of  souls.  So  it  came  about  that  he 
undertook,  alone  and  unaided,  except  for  the  approval  and 
moral  support  of  His  Grace,  Most  Reverend  Archbishop 
Quigley,  the  establishment  of  the  institution  familiarly 
known  as  St.  Bernard's  Hospital  at  6337  Harvard  Avenue. 
During  the  sixteen  years  of  its  existence,  St.  Bernard's 
Hotel  Dieu  hospital  has  cared  for  over  sixty-five  thousand 
patients,  many  of  whom  were  treated  without  fee  or  price. 


V  y^^m:^:~:^ 


CHAPTER  XXII 

BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD 
The  First  National  Bank  of  Englewood 

THE  First  National  Bank  of  Englewood  was  organized 
June  26,   1889,  to  carry  on   a  general  banking  busi- 
ness at  6161  Wentworth  Avenue. 

On  December  11,  1889,  the  comptroller  of  the  cur- 
rency at  Washington,  D.  C,  issued  a  call  for  statement 
of  condition  of  national  banks.  This  bank  reported 
capital,  surplus  and  undivided  profits  of  $92,412  and 
deposits  of  $57,035.82. 

In  the  year  1890,  the  bank  was  moved  to  more  suitable 
quarters,  now  known  as  245  W.  63rd  Street.  They  soon 
outgrew  these  quarters  and  in  the  year  1893  moved  to 
what  is  now  known  as  353-355  W.  63rd  Street. 

On  May  25,  1894,  a  savings  department  was  installed 
and  deposits  for  the  first  day  amounted  to  $902.20. 

On  January  25,  1903,  Mr.  J.  R.  Embree,  who  was  then 
president,  passed  away  and  at  a  special  meeting  of 
directors,  Mr.  J.  J.  Nichols,  then  vice-president,  was 
elected  president.  Mr.  V.  E.  Nichols,  cashier,  was 
elected  vice-president  and  cashier  and  held  this  office  until 
his  death,  January  30,  1920.  The  great  progress  shown 
by  the  bank  was  due  to  Mr.  V.  E.  Nichols'  untiring  efforts 
and  close  attention  to  its  affairs. 

In  the  year  1907  the  bank  had  outgrown  its  quarters 
again  and  found  it  necessary  to  purchase  the  property 
now  known  as  347-349  W.  63rd  Street,  where  it  is  now 
located.  The  construction  of  a  monumental  bank  build- 
ing was  started  in  1907  which  would  meet  all  needs  for 
increased  space  and  better  facilities.  The  bank  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  in  February,  1908,  and  continues 
even  at  the  present  time  to  attract  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  country  by  its  beauty  and  pleasing  arrangement. 
It  was  the  aim  of  the  officers  and  directors  to  place  at 
the  disposal  of  Englewood  residents  a  banking  house 
equipped  with  every  convenience  to  be  found  in  banks 
in  the  loop  districts. 

179 


180  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

A  steady  progress  has  continued  and  on  December  31, 
1921,  the  report  of  condition  to  the  comptroller  of  the 
currency  showed  capital,  surplus  and  undivided  profits  of 
$576,267.54  (an  increase  of  $483,855.54  since  1889)  and 
deposits  of  $6,077,185.99  (an  increase  of  $6,020,150.96 
since  1889). 

Since  the  installation  of  the  savings  department,  inter- 
est amounting  to  more  than  $1,000,000  has  been  paid  to 
savings  depositors. 

The  stockholders  up  to  December  31,  1921,  have  re- 
ceived in  dividends  since  the  organization  of  the  bank, 
$443,750. 

At  the  present  time  the  depositors  number  more  than 
eighteen  thousand,  some  of  whom  have  banked  continually 
with  this  institution  for  the  past  thirty  years. 

At  the  annual  election  held  January  10,  1922,  the 
following  officers,  most  of  whom  have  been  connected  with 
the   bank    for   many   years,   were   re-elected : 

J.  J.  Nichols,  president;  Wm.  L.  Sharp,  vice-president; 

E.  S.  Hubbell,  cashier;  J.  M.  Nichols,  assistant  cashier; 
H.  G.  Johnson,  assistant  cashier;  A.  H.  LeMessurier, 
assistant   cashier. 

In  June  Mr.  Hubbell,  cashier,  died  and  was  succeeded 
by  J.  M.  Nichols  as  cashier,  Mr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Le- 
Messurier remaining  as  assistant  cashiers. 

The  63rd  &  Halsted  State  Savings  Bank 
This  excellent  institution  was  organized  July  11,  1914, 
and  started  in  business  at  810-812  W.  63rd  Street  and 
have  thrived  and  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that  after 
several  enlargements  of  the  original  banking  house  they 
were  compelled  to  purchase  the  entire  northwest  corner  of 
63rd  and  Halsted  streets,  to  which  they  moved  in  July, 
1919,  and  have  now  one  of  the  finest  banking  institutions 
in  the  city.  Their  capital  stock  was  $200,000.00  with 
$30,000.00  surplus. 

The  original  officers  and  directors  were  as  follows : 
R.  A.  Schoenfield,  president ;  C.  H.  Dehning,  vice-presi- 
dent and  cashier ;  Peter  J.  Claussen,  vice-president ;  George 
Lenz,    William    Schulze,    Henry    F.    Theis,    G.    J.    Tatge, 

F.  J.  Kelly,  Aug.  H.  Gehle,  James  F.  McManus  and  Louis 
F.  Schwartz,  directors. 


BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  181 

The  present  officers  and  directors  are  :  C.  H.  Denning, 
president;  Peter  J.  Claussen,  vice-president;  Henry  F. 
Theis,  vice-president ;  George  Lenz,  cashier ;  Samuel  Gene- 
sen,  assistant  cashier;  A.  H.  Denning,  assistant  cashier; 
William  Schulze,  Gustavus  J.  Tatge,  James  F.  McManns, 
Peter  W.  Meyn,  August  H.  Gehle,  Carl  E.  Tandy  and 
Charles   E.    Prodie,   directors. 

The  statement  of  conditions  in  April,  1922,  was  as 
follows : 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $1,214,900.24 

U.    S.    Bonds 16.600.00 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 24,409.55 

Cash  and  Due  from  Banks 438,747.67 

$1,696,657.46 

LIABILITIES 

Capital     $    200,000.00 

Surplus    30,000.00 

Undivided  Profits   53,269.48 

Reserve  for  Taxes 1,428.06 

Deposits     1,411,959.92 

$1,696,657.46 
79th  &  Halsted  State  Savings  Bank 
The  79th  &  Halsted  State  Savings  Bank  opened  for 
business  under  state  and  clearing  house  supervision  April 
9,  1922,  with  checking,  savings,  real  estate  loans,  foreign 
exchange  and  safe  deposit  vault  departments.  The  paid 
in  capital   stock   was  $150,000.00,   the   surplus  $22,500.00. 

The  officers  are:  W.  M.  Richards,  president;  Albert 
Lang,  vice-president ;  C.  W.  Worthington,  cashier ;  A.  A. 
Brubaker,  assistant  cashier. 

The  board  of  directors  is  composed  of  F.  A.  Meidinger, 
J.  L.  Kraft,  E,  J.  Piggot,  W.  S.  Moore,  R.  J.  Kittredge, 
E.  Ridgeway,  Oscar  Heineman,  Alfred  Lang,  George  A. 
Trude  and   W.   M.   Richards. 

The  bank  is  well  equipped  to  do  a  general  banking 
business  and  while  a  local  bank  for  the  benefit  and  service 
of  the  people  of  Auburn  Park,  it  has  the  advantages  of 
management  and  operation  along  the  lines  of  the  city 
banks. 

The  directors  are  also  successful  business  men,  drawn 


182  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

from  various  parts  of  Chicago,  who  will  give  a  large  and 
broad  view  to  the  bank  management. 

West  Englewood  Trust  &  Savings  Bank 

Early  in  the  year  1909  the  West  Englewood  Bank, 
63rd  Street  and  Ashland  Avenue,  with  a  capital  of 
$125,000.00,  was  organized.  The  accommodations  afforded 
by  this  institution  proved  an  incentive  to  business  men  to 
settle  down  in  this  community,  thereby  stimulating  local 
business  and  resulting  in  the  necessity  for  a  larger  and 
more  commodious  financial  institution.  Therefore,  in  the 
year  1912,  the  capital  stock  of  the  bank  was  increased  to 
$200,000.00,  and  the  bank  placed  under  state  supervision. 

In  need  of  more  spacious  quarters,  negotiations  were 
entered  into  for  the  purchase  of  the  controlling  interest 
in  the  Ashland  State  Bank  (formerly  known  as  the  Ash- 
land Exchange  and  Savings  Bank),  and  in  October  of 
the  same  year  a  merger  of  the  two  banks  was  effected, 
resulting  in  the  establishment  of  the  West  Englewood 
Ashland  State  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $250,000.00. 

The  officers,  with  but  few  exceptions,  are  the  same 
who  started  this  bank  originally,  namely : 

President,  John  Bain;  Vice-President  and  Cashier, 
Michael  Maisel;  Assistant  Cashier,  W.  Merle  Fisher; 
Assistant  Cashier,  Arthur  C.  Utesch. 

On  January  9,  1921,  the  name  was  changed  to  West 
Englewood  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  and  on  September  1, 
definite  plans  made  for  the  erection  of  a  new  bank  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Marshfield  Avenue, 
which  building  is  to  be  started  upon  sometime  during  the 
coming  year. 

Halsted  Street  State  Bank 

The  Halsted  Street  State  Bank,  Halsted  and  69th 
streets,  was  organized  December  8,  1911,  under  permit 
issued  to  Messrs.  E.  L.  Roberts,  Siete  De  Vries  and  Henry 
F.  Eidmann.  The  bank  opened  for  business  on  December 
5,  1912,  in  the  new  building  built  for  its  exclusive  use 
and  the   following  served  as  the  first  board  of  directors : 

E.  L.  Roberts,  Siete  De  Vries,  Gustavus  J.  Tatge, 
Fred  A.  Rathje,  Robert  E.  Barbee,  Herbert  W.  Eidmann, 
Henry  F.  Eidmann,  the  first  two  having  died  during  their 
tenure  of  office. 


BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  183 

The  board  is  now  composed  of  the  following :  Robert 
E.  Barbee,  Henry  F.  Eidmann,  Herbert  W.  Eidmann, 
Gustavus  J.  Tatge,  Fred  A.  Rathje,  William  Madlung, 
John  E.  Traeger. 

The  business  of  the  bank  has  grown  so  that  at  the 
present  time  the  total  resources  are  $2,238,282.10.  The 
directors  are  all  men  well  acquainted  in  Englewood,  hav- 
ing resided  there  for  many  years. 

Chicago  City  Bank  and  Trust  Company 
(Formerly  Chicago  City  Bank,  6225  S.  Halsted  St.) 

The  Chicago  City  Bank,  6233-35  S.  Halsted  Street, 
was  organized  as  a  state  bank  and  opened  for  business  on 
May  4,  1893,  in  the  building  at  6225  South  Halsted  Street, 
erected  and  owned  by  the  bank. 

The  first  board  of  directors  consisted  of  the  following : 
Henry  Jaeger,  C.  F.  Clausen,  William  Rathje,  Henry 
Gottschalk,  D.  F.  Cohrs,  Louis  Rathje,  M.  W.  Pinckney, 
H.  F.  Buchhoiz,  Theodore  Dackerman,  Conrad  Tatge, 
Henry  Cohre. 

The  following  were  the  first  officers :  President,  Louis 
Rathje;  First  Vice-President,  Henry  Jaeger;  Second  Vice- 
President,  D.  F.  Cohrs,  and  Cashier,  William  Rathje  (now 
president  of  the  Mid-City  Trust  &  Savings  Bank).  M.  W. 
Pinckney  (later  judge  of  the  Juvenile  Court)  was  its  first 
attorney. 

Within  two  or  three  years  after  its  inception  the  bank 
joined  the  Chicago  Clearing  House  Association  as  an 
affiliated  member,  having  enjoyed  its  protection  ever  since, 
and  being  subject  to  the  very  rigid  examination  of  this 
association. 

The  real  estate  firm  of  Cohrs  &  Rathje,  started  by 
Louis  Rathje,  together  with  G.  J.  Tatge  and  D.  F.  Cohrs 
during  the  year  1888,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd 
and  Wallace  streets,  was  continued  by  the  bank,  at  first 
under  the  name  of  Cohrs  &  Rathje,  then  upon  the  resig- 
nation of  D.  F.  Cohrs  on  December  31,  1896,  as  Rathje 
&  Stege  (William  H.  C.  Stege  later  became  president  of 
the  Guarantee  Trust  &  Savings  Bank).  Upon  the  resigna- 
tion of  William  H.  C.  Stege  on  October  15,  1901,  the  firm 
was  called  Rathje  &  Lundberg,  Mr.  Carl  Lundberg   (now 


184  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

president  of  the  United  State  Bank)  having  entered  into 
the  firm.  For  the  past  seventeen  years  this  firm  has  been 
known  as  Louis  Rathje  &  Company. 

William  Rathje  resigned  his  duties  as  cashier  on 
December  31,  1903,  and  Charles  F.  Brown,  who  had  been 
affiliated  with  the  bank  as  teller  since  1895,  took  his  place. 
Charles  F.  Brown  died  January  28,  1907,  and  the  present 
cashier,  E.  H.  Holtorff,  took  his  place  at  that  time. 

On  January  1,  1906,  the  bank's  capital  was  increased 
from  $200,000.00  to  $500,000.00,  the  former  capital  hav- 
ing become  too  small  for  the  rapidly  growing  business. 

The  bank  then  outgrew  its  quarters  at  6225  South 
Halsted  Street  and  built  the  building  located  at  6233-35 
South  Halsted  Street  and  moved  into  its  present  location 
on  January  1,  1906. 

In  order  to  be  in  position  to  give  complete  banking 
facilities  to  its  ever-growing  number  of  clients,  the  bank, 
on  March  27,  1912,  qualified  as  a  trust  company  and 
changed  its  name  to  Chicago  City  Bank  and  Trust  Com- 
pany. The  growth  of  the  bank  is  best  illustrated  by  the 
increase  in   its   deposits,   as   follows : 

May,    1893 $      20,888.00    May,    1913.  .  .$3,653,484.92 

May,    1898 294,455.00    Nov.,   1919...   5,280,207.82 

May,    1903 1,077,327.00    Jan.,    1921...   6,170,050.32 

May,    1908 1,533,820.00     March,    1922.   6,285,523.25 

The  old  records  show  that  on  January  15,  1895,  the 
payroll  of  the  bank  showed  six  officers  and  employees, 
while  now  its  payroll  covers  a  family  of  fifty- three 
members. 

United  State  Bank  of  Chicago 
The  United  State  Bank  of  Chicago  opened  its  doors 
for  business  in  its  new  building  at  6000  S.  Halsted  Street, 
on  January  17,  1914,  with  Simon  Heck  as  president  and 
Carl  Lundberg  as  cashier.  It  had  just  been  organized 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000  and  a  surplus  of  $20,000. 
When  it  closed  its  doors  on  the  first  day,  it  had  deposits 
totaling  $120,000.  On  September  6,  1921,  its  deposits 
amounted  to  the  sum  of  $1,489,341.29,  which  is  almost  a 
record  growth  for  an  institution  of  its  kind.  Its  safety 
deposit  boxes  have  been  increased  from  1,000  to  1,500  in 
number. 


BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  185 

Many  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  personnel  of 
the  bank  since  its  opening.  Fred  Bernstein  soon  gave 
place  to  Robert  Anderson  as  vice-president  and  Simon 
Heck,  on  account  of  ill  health,  resigned  in  December,  1920, 
which  brought  Mr.  Lundberg's  election  to  the  presidency. 

At  the  present  time  the  bank  is  being  managed  and 
conducted  by  the  following  officers :  President,  Carl 
Lundberg ;  Vice-President,  Robert  Anderson ;  Cashier, 
Frank  A.  Putnam ;  Assistant  Cashier,  Wm.  C.  Fahs- 
bender.  Directors :  A.  F.  Anderson,  J.  Parker  Smith, 
John  Olson,  Robert  Anderson,  R.  W.  Becker,  E.  A.  Sach- 
tleben,  M.  D.,  F.  A.  Putnam,  Carl  Lundberg,  Nels  Chris- 
tensen,  Peter  De  Vries,  Fred  J.  Staudinger. 

Thanks  to  the  leadership  of  men  like  Simon  Heck, 
Carl  Lundberg  and  others,  the  bank  got  a  healthy  start  on 
a  sound  foundation.  It  has  often,  perhaps,  been  criti- 
cised as  being  too  conservative,  but  never  as  being  reck- 
less. Its  miraculous  growth  and  expansion  proves  its, 
success  as  a  banking  institution  beyond  the  hopes  of  any 
of  its  founders. 

The  Mutual  National  Bank  of  Chicago 

The  bank  was  organized  in  the  Summer  of  1917  and 
received  its  charter  from  the  comptroller  of  currency  on 
October  20,  1917,  and  opened  for  business  on  November 
15,  1917. 

The  organizers  of  the  bank  were  Louis  Rathje,  presi- 
dent of  the  Chicago  City  Bank  &  Trust  Company ;  Frank 
C.  Rathje,  Andrew  W.  Harper,  Henry  G.  Lauerman,  and 
the  other  members  of  the  original  board  of  directors. 

The  bank  started  with  a  subscribed  capital  of  $200,000 
and  $25,000  surplus.  The  surplus  has  been  increased  by 
earnings  set  aside  in  that  fund  in  the  last  four  years  to 
$50,000.  In  addition  to  this,  the  undivided  profits  amount 
to  $15,000,  making  a  total  capital,  surplus,  and  undivided 
profits  of  $265,000. 

Since  its  opening  day,  the  Mutual  National  Bank  has 
enrolled  approximately  eight  thousand  residents  and  mer- 
chants of  the  Auburn  Park  district  as  depositors  in  its 
various  departments — savings,  commercial,  Christmas  sav- 
ings and  vault  departments. 

It  is  centrally  located  at  79th  and  Halsted  streets  and 


186  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

serves  the  large  district  south  of  74th  Street  and  west  of 
State  Street,  which  district  is  growing  very  rapidly,  and 
while  there  are  still  quite  a  number  of  vacant  lots  on 
which  there  are  no  buildings,  it  is  going  through  a  re- 
markable change.  Vacant  lots  along  Halsted  Street,  both 
north  and  south  of  79th  Street,  are  rapidly  disappearing 
and  store  buildings  are  taking  their  places.  Likewise, 
residential  lots  are  being  replaced  by  homes  and  flat 
buildings. 

The  bank  has  made  a  remarkable  growth  in  deposits, 
taking  into  consideration  the  fact  that  it  entered  this 
territory  in  the  year  1917,  when  six  months  previous  to 
that  time,  the  territory  received  a  severe  set-back  on 
account  of  the  failure  of  the  Auburn  Park  State  Bank. 
Its  success  and  growth  indicate  the  confidence  that  the 
people  of  Auburn  Park  place  in  the  management  and 
organization  of  the  Mutual  National  Bank,  which  is  under 
the  supervision  of  the  National  Government,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Federal  Reserve  system. 

The  directorate  of  the  bank  is  the  same  as  originally, 
with  the  exception  of  Dr.  John  Craig,  who  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  institution  and  who  died,  and  has  been 
replaced  on  the  board  by  T.  J.  Weldon;  Henry  G.  Lauer- 
man,  who  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health  and  was  re- 
placed on  the  board  by  Dr.  Joseph  T.  Meyer. 

The  present  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  follows :  Presi- 
dent, Frank  C.  Rathje;  Vice-President,  Andrew  W.  Har- 
per; Vice-President,  T.  J.  Weldon;  Cashier,  Fred  H. 
Korthauer;  Assistant  Cashier,  E.   D.   O'Connell. 

The  directors  are  as   follows :     Louis  Rathje,   Samuel 
Inlander,  A.  E.  Thompson,  S.  S.  McDonald,  Olof  Olson, 
T.    J.    Weldon,    Andrew    W.    Harper,    Frank    C.    Rathje, 
Henry  F.  Fischer,  A.  C.  Kussmann,  Dr.  G.  T.  Meyer. 
Guarantee  Trust  and  Savings  Bank 

The  Guarantee  Trust  and  Savings  Bank,  63rd  and 
Green  streets,  now  with  deposits  of  $2,016,334.22,  was 
organized  May  13,  1908,  with  a  capital  of  $200,000.00,  no 
surplus,  and  had  total  deposits  in  the  first  year  of  only 
$160,000.00. 

William  H.  C.  Stege  was  first  president  of  the  bank, 
in    which    office   he   remained    until    retired    by    the    Grim 


BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  187 

Reaper.  When  organized,  the  bank  purchased  the  build- 
ing but  only  occupied  40x50  feet  on  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  63rd  and  Green  streets  and  had  only  three  depart- 
ments, commercial,  savings  and  real  estate.  Today  it 
occupies  the  entire  main  floor  and  has  in  addition  to  the 
original  departments,  insurance,  real  estate  loan  and  bond 
departments. 

Because  of  ill  health  Mr.  Stege  went  to  California  in 
the  winter  of  1919  and  died  there  in  May,  1920.  He  is 
succeeded  by  Henry  F.  Jaeger,  former  vice-president  of 
the  bank  and  who  had  been  associated  with  its  growth 
since  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  its  organization. 

In  1916  there  was  an  addition  made  to  the  bank  of 
25x125  feet,  enlarging  the  safety  deposit  vaults  which  now 
hold  3,000  boxes.  In  1921,  22x60  feet  of  space  was  added 
to  the  banking  room.  The  present  surplus  and  undivided 
profits  of  this  constantly  growing  bank  are  $179,633.24, 
with  total  resources  of  $2,252,077.02. 

Officers  of  the  bank  are :  President,  Henry  F.  Jaeger ; 
Vice-President  and  Cashier,  Otto  J.  Meier ;  Vice-Presi- 
dent, John  Mueller;  Assistant  Cashier,  Herman  Boettcher. 

Present  directors  are :  Henry  F.  Jaeger,  chairman  of 
the  board,  president  of  the  Guarantee  Trust  and  Savings 
Bank;  Samuel  Phillips,  retired,  Henry  Jaeger,  retired, 
George  Hollenbach,  sausage  manufacturer;  William  Win- 
terhoff,  president  of  the  Lansing  State  Bank,  Lansing, 
Illinois ;  Max  Messner,  retired ;  John  Mueller,  president 
of  Mueller  &  Sons  Meat  Markets;  H.  A.  Becker,  presi- 
dent of  the  H.  A.  Becker  Co. ;  Joseph  Schaefer,  carpen- 
ter contractor  and  Otto  J.  Meier,  vice-president  and  cashier 
of  the  Guarantee  Trust  and  Savings  Bank. 

First  Englewood  State  Bank  of  Chicago 

This  bank  is  the  oldest  of  all  the  banks  now  doing 
business  in  Englewood,  as  it  was  organized  as  a  private 
bank  by  Christian  Vehmeyer  in  1887,  and  in  1906  was 
organized  under  the  state  statutes  and  chartered  as  the 
Englewood  State  Bank,  which  did  a  very  prosperous  busi- 
ness up  to  the  present  time  and  built  a  very  handsome 
banking  building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  63rd  Street 
and  Yale  Avenue.  The  growth  of  the  institution  was 
quite  remarkable  during  the  last  five  years,   the  increase 


188  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

in  deposits  running  in  the  neighborhood  of  two  and  one- 
half  million  dollars. 

On  January  5,  1922,  the  First  Englewood  State  Bank 
of  Chicago  succeeded  the  Englewood  State  Bank  and  the 
following  officers  and  directors  were  elected :  Chairman 
of  the  Board,  Lucius  Teter;  President,  Frank  H.  Tinsley; 
Vice-President,  W.  M.  Goldsberry;  Cashier,  Ernest  E. 
Hart;  Assistant  Cashier,  E.  N.  Baty;  Assistant  Cashier, 
James  Hughes. 

Directors :  William  F.  Monahan,  Donald  R.  Bryant, 
Frank  H.  Tinsley,  James  E.  MacMurray,  A.  H.  Swett, 
John  W.  O'Leary,  John  A.  Carroll,  W.  F.  Krohmer, 
S.  E.  Thomason,  Lucius  Teter,  A.  H.  Whitley. 

The  First  Englewood  State  Bank  has  been  admitted 
to  affiliated  membership  in  the  Chicago  Clearing  House 
Association,  which  assures  its  many  customers  of  the 
acme  of  security. 

The  stock  of  this  bank  is  owned  almost  exclusively  by 
resident  business  people  of  the  Englewood  district  and 
since  the  re-organization  the  business  of  the  bank  has 
been  increasing  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner. 

Concordia  Building  Loan  and  Homestead  Association 
One  of  the  oldest  financial  institutions  of  Englewood 
is  the  Concordia  Building,  Loan  and  Homestead  Asso- 
ciation, having  its  offices  in  the  Chicago  City  Bank  and 
Trust  Company  building  at  6233-35  South  Halsted  Street. 
This  association  was  organized  in  February,  1889,  a 
license  for  the  organization  having  been  issued  by  the 
secretary  of  state  to  Conrad  Tatge,  Louis  Rathje,  Diedrich 
F.  Cohrs,  Merritt  W.  Pinckney  and  Gustavus  J.  Tatge. 
The  first  office  of  the  association  was  the  real  estate 
office  of  Cohrs  &  Rathje,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd 
and  Wallace  streets,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the 
Chicago  City  Bank  at  Englewood  Avenue  and  Halsted 
Street,  the  office  of  the  association  was  moved  into  the 
new  bank  building. 

The  association  played  an  important  part  in  the  build- 
ing up  of  Englewood  and  other  districts  of  the  South 
Side,  and  many  of  the  first  settlers  in  Englewood  found 
its  monthly  payment  plan  of  loans  a  convenient  means 
of  financing  either  the  purchase  of  a  home  or  the  erection 


BANKS  OF  ENGLEWOOD  189 

of  a  cottage  on  a  lot  already  owned  by  the  borrower. 

Louis  Rathje,  president  of  the  Chicago  City  Bank  & 
Trust  Company,  was  for  many  years  secretary  of  the 
"Concordia,"  and  he  was  succeeded  in  March,  1907,  by 
Ernest  H.  Holtorff,  cashier  of  the  Chicago  City  Bank  & 
Trust  Company.  In  March,  1919,  F.  G.  Christgau  became 
secretary,  after  having  served  as  assistant  secretary  since 
March,  1912. 

The  association  is  the  largest  in  Chicago  and  one  of 
the  most  successful  associations  in  the  state.  Its  resources 
on  February  28,  1922,  were  $1,310,116.54.  The  number 
of  shares  in  force  was  39,532,  representing  the  holdings 
of    about    1,200   members. 

At  the  annual  stockholders'  meeting,  held  March  21, 
1922,  the  authorized  capital  was  raised  from  $5,000,000.00 
to  $10,000,000.00  and  all  the  officers  and  directors  were 
re-elected,  the  directors  being :  Christian  Becker,  A.  P. 
Caron,  H.  F.  Fischer,  Anton  Liver,  Olof  Olson,  Frank  C. 
Rathje,  Fred  C.  Rathje,  Louis  Rathje,  F.  W.  RoepstorfT, 
all  well  known  business  men  of  Englewood.  The  officers 
elected  for  1922  were  as  follows :  President,  H.  F. 
Fischer ;  Vice-President,  Anton  Liver ;  Secretary,  F.  G. 
Christgau;  Treasurer,  Ernest  H.  Holtorff;  Attorney, 
Frank  C.  Rathje. 

Auburn  Park  Trust  and  Savings  Bank 

This  reliable  young  institution,  although  organized  but 
a  few  months,  has  already  established  for  itself  a  position 
in  the  banking  world  of  this  vicinity.  The  first  organi- 
zers were  Charles  H.  Reiss,  Wayne  Fern,  Cline  C.  Brosius 
and  Roy  P.  Roberts. 

They  are  located  at  7855  S.  Halsted  Street,  where 
they  have  a  very  beautiful  banking  house  with  all  of  the 
conveniences  and  safety  accessories  of  a  first  class  banking 
institution. 

This  bank  was  started  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Chicago  Clearing  House  Association  and  as  a  member  of 
the  Federal  Reserve  System.  It  was  the  first  bank  in  Chi- 
cago to  establish  an  individual  children's  department. 

The  first  officers  of  the  bank  were :  President,  Roy  P. 
Roberts ;  Vice-President,  Harry  W.  Williams ;  Cashier, 
Charles  H.  Jones ;  Assistant   Cashier,   Richard  D.   Breaks. 


190 


THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

REMINISCENCES 

ONE  of  the  best  informed  of  the  old  settlers  now  with 
us  is  Jos.  A.  Fagan,  or  as  everyone  best  knows  him, 
"Joe  the  letter  carrier/'  as  he  was  of  the  first  lot  of  letter- 
carriers   appointed   in   Englewood. 

Joe  says  in  May,  1866,  he  came  to  Englewood,  then 
known  as  "The  Junction,"  with  his  father,  who  settled 
at  what  is  now  61st  and  State  streets. 

"We  had  one  neighbor  south  of  us,  the  Burkey  family, 
the  next  south  being  Ring's  Tavern,  known  as  the  'Seven 
Mile  House.'  There  was  nothing  south  of  that  only  a 
few  shanties  near  the  railroad.  There  were  probably 
ten  houses  between  State  Street  and  the  lake.  Just  east 
of  State  was  a  grove ;  one  house  stood  at  63rd  Street 
and  Indiana  Avenue,  from  which  a  big  marsh  extended  as 
far  as  Cottage  Grove  Avenue,  then  it  was  woods  and 
brush  to  the  lake.  Sand  hills  nearly  one  hundred  feet 
high  bordered  the  lake.  Two  or  three  fishermen's  shanties 
were  built  in  the  sand. dunes  and  as  a  boy  I  often  watched 
them  fish,  drawing  in  their  nets  with  a  windlass.  Oh 
boy!  I  have  seen  them  pull  in  a  half  ton  at  a  time  of 
white  fish,  perch  and  herring  and  lots  of  sturgeon,  weigh- 
ing from  ten  to  thirty  pounds  each.  We  boys  used  to 
have  the  smaller  fish  for  helping  tend  the  windlass. 
From  State  Street,  west  and  south  was  one  vast  prairie 
as  far  as  eye  could  reach.  One  house  at  63rd  Street 
and  Princeton  Avenue,  Carl  Dunn's  house  at  62nd  Street 
and  Princeton  Avenue,  the  brick  school  where  now  stands 
Englewood  High  School,  of  which  E.  M.  Jarrett  was 
the  first  teacher.  Mr.  Bartlett  was  the  teacher  in  May, 
1866,  when  I  went  there.  Since  which  time  there  have 
been  instructors  and  teachers  of  three  generations.  In 
those  days  there  was  not  to  exceed  fifteen  children  all  told 
and  not  more  than  500  population  to  Western  Avenue  and 
I  guess  west  of  the  lake.  The  Ten  Mile  House  on  the 
south,  later  known  as  Schorling's  Road  House,  stands 
there   still. 

191 


192  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

"One  schoolma'am,  Mrs.  Clark,  used  to  send  for  mail 
over  to  the  old  railroad  dummy  house  and  distribute  it 
to  the  children  to  take  home.  There  might  be  ten  or 
twelve  pieces  each  day.  I  used  to  go  out  south  to  the 
lakes,  to  what  is  now  Auburn  Park,  where  Judge  Melvin 
Fuller,  later  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States,  owned  an  eighty-acre  farm.  The  chief 
attraction  on  the  farm  for  him  was  an  old  dove-cote  that 
had  come  originally  from  old  Fort  Dearborn.  There  was 
a  bridge  across  a  little  creek  at  about  76th  Street,  and 
the  judge's  property  began  there.  I  remember  my  father 
buying  a  huge  tank  that  had  been  used  at  Camp  Douglas 
which  was  used  as  a  prison  for  southern  soldiers  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Having  secured  the  tank,  the 
next  question  was  how  to  get  it  out  to  Englewood,  but 
with  a  half  dozen  of  my  young  cousins,  we  solved  the 
problem  by  making  a  boat  of  it  and  paddling  it  out  in 
the  ditches.  When  coming  to  a  road  we  would  put  rollers 
under  it  and  roll  it  over  the  slough  on  the  opposite  side. 
This  tank  father  had  placed  alongside  of  his  eighty-foot 
barn  and  it  was  kept  well  filled  with  rain  water  from 
the  roof  and  many  times  with  us  it  was  our  bathing  pool. 

SOME  LETTERS  FROM  OLD  TIMERS 
From     Wm.     A.     Holmes,     6016     Stony     Island     Avenue 
(lived   at    State    and    59th    streets    in    one    house    for 
fifty  years). 

"Backward,  turn  backward,  Oh,  Time  in  your  flight ; 
make  me  a  child  again  just   for  tonight" — in   Englewood. 

Almost  sixty  years  ago  I  was  born  near  the  corner 
of  State  and  59th  streets,  Englewood,  then  known  as 
Junction  Grove.  Now,  close  your  eyes  on  the  town  of 
today  with  all  of  its  life  and  bustle  and  go  back  fifty 
years  and  let  me  tell  you  a  few  things  about  old  Engle- 
wood. 

We  might  start  a  few  years  earlier  when  a  few  scat- 
tering houses  were  built  on  a  ridge  of  sandy  soil,  covered 
with  oak  trees,  seven  miles  south  of  the  Chicago  River 
and  west  of  Lake  Michigan.  Along  the  east  edge  of 
this  ridge  dashed  the  old  four-horse  stage  coaches  with 
mail  and  newcomers  for  the  city,  for  there  were  no  rail- 
roads  in  those   days.     The  old  stage   road   from   the   east 


REMINISCENCES  193 

was  by  way  of  Michigan  City,  City  West  and  Bailey 
Town.  (The  two  last  towns  named  were  in  the  sand 
dunes  of  Indiana.)  On  came  the  mail  coach,  having 
changed  horses  at  Bailey  Town,  ready  for  the  last  lap 
of  the  journey,  turning  into  the  old  Vincennes  Road  near 
Blue  Island,  passing  what  is  now  Englewood  at  a  point 
where  63rd  Street  crosses  Indiana  Avenue,  following  the 
Vincennes  Road  to  about  37th  Street,  then  Cottage  Grove 
Avenue,  into  Chicago.  By  the  way,  this  was  the  old 
Indian  trail  from  Chicago  to  Fort  Wayne.  Near  this 
route  at  63rd  Street  and  the  Southern  Plank  Road  (now 
State  Street)  started  the  first  postoffice  of  our  town. 
The  house  still  stands. 

However,  soon  came  the  railroads ;  the  Michigan 
Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  and  the  Rock  Island. 
They  formed  a  junction  at  63rd  Street  and  with  a  grove 
of  oak  trees  near  by,  they  called  it  Junction  Grove,  the 
first  name  of  Englewood.  This  was  about  1852.  The 
Fort  Wayne  Railroad  was  added  in  1856  and  we  became 
a  railroad  center  with  a  depot  at  62nd  and  La  Salle 
streets.  A  through  train  or  two  and  a  dummy  (as  we 
called  it)  in  and  out  of  the  city  each  day — the  old  Black 
Jack  with  Carl  Dumm,  conductor,  and  Charles  Davis, 
engineer.  When  there  was  heavy  snow  in  the  winter  it 
did  not  run,  so  you  walked  home.  This  was  nothing 
unusual  to  early  settlers  of  our  town. 

From   Anna    W.    Hunter,    6356    Stewart    Avenue 

My  father,  with  his  family,  came  to  Englewood  in  the 
early  '70s  when  I  was  a  grammar  school  girl.  The  town, 
until  shortly  before  our  arrival,  had  been  known  as  "The 
Junction."  63rd  Street  was  a  mass  of  yellow  sand  with 
ditches  along  the  sides,  that  while  they  afTorded  good 
sliding  and  skating  facilities,  following  a  thaw  they  were 
not  picturesque   to  gaze   upon. 

Father,  John  Hunter,  who  passed  to  the  Great  Beyond 
in  1886,  and  "Uncle  Joe,"  a  prosperous  Will  County 
farmer,  the  children's  friend,  delivered  country  produce 
to  the  early  citizens,  and  as  children  my  youthful  friends 
and  I  found  one  of  our  favorite  pastimes  in  riding  with 
either  of  these  gentlemen  on  their  wagons.  I  pleasantly 
recall    several    hayrack    parties,    when    we    drove    all    the 


194  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

way  to  Lake  Michigan  on  63rd  Street  with  houses  few 
and  far  between.  There  was  nothing  along  the  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan,  our  destination,  except  a  sandy  bank 
and  an  occasional  bunch  of  bushes  and  dwarfed  oaks, 
with  the  exception  of  the  ruins  of  a  stone  structure, 
which  seemed  to  have  been  intended  for  a  fine  mansion 
overlooking  our  wonderful  lake.  Of  course  our  youthful 
fancies  pictured  this  as  formerly  a  castle,  but  it  served 
as  a  play-house.  No  one  could  tell  when  or  why  or  by 
whom  this  structure  had  been  started,  or  why  it  had  not 
been  completed,  but  this  was  considered  an  ideal  picnic 
spot  in  those  primitive  days. 

A  word  about  the  early  buildings.  The  chief  grocery 
store  was  George  Chase's  grocery,  located  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  Wentworth  Avenue  and  63rd  Street  where 
the  United  Cigar  Store  is  now  nourishing.  The  post- 
office  was  located  in  the  brown  house  which  still  stands, 
I  believe,  on  the  west  side  of  State  Street  near  63rd 
Street,  and  Miss  Clark  was  then  postmistress.  The  only 
church  building  on  my  arrival  in  Englewood  was  the 
Presbyterian  Church  which  stood  where  the  Englewood 
State  Bank  is  now  located.  It  was  a  great  wooden  struc- 
ture in  the  basement  of  which  were  held  the  Sunday 
School  and  prayer  meetings,  socials  and  occasional  dra- 
matic productions,  supervised  by  a  fleshy,  popular,  genial 
gentleman  long  since  deceased,  named  Frank  Blish.  These 
entertainments  were  made  successful  by  the  assistance  of 
amateur  actors,  as  Orno  J.  Tyler,  Jay  Barney,  Hattie 
Muirhead,  Charles  Smith,  Sadie  Hunter,  Frank  and 
Clara  Brown,  Clarence  Dunn,  Thomas  Hunter,  Vene 
Wilder,  members  of  the  Thorne  family  and  the  youthful 
Forbes  girls  and  many  others  whom  time  and  space  for- 
bids mentioning  in  this  sketch.  One  particularly  popular 
drama  which  had  to  bear  many  repetitions  was  "Ten 
Nights  in  a  Bar  Room/'  I  sincerely  believe  that  the 
temperance  lessons  that  this  particular  drama  emphasized 
played  not  a  small  part  in  keeping  Englewood  a  choice 
prohibition   district   in   the   days   to   come. 

The  preaching  services,  weddings,  lectures  and  lyceum 
entertainments  were  held  in  the  auditorium  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  which  was  usually  packed  to  its  capacity 


REMINISCENCES  195 

The  Englewood  Presbyterian  Church  was  really  the 
home  of  all  the  Protestant  churches  of  Englewood,  the 
Baptist  being  the  first  to  branch  out  into  its  own  organi- 
zation. The  Methodist  was  the  second  church  to  be 
formed  and  today  stands  proudly  on  64th  Street  and 
Stewart   Avenue   with   a   splendid   church   record. 

There  was  splendid  fellowship  among  the  early 
churches  of  Englewood  and  none  of  the  structures  could 
hold  the  crowds  gathered  in  the  early  union  revival 
meetings,  where  many  of  the  staunch  solid  Christian 
citizens  who  have  lived  and  died,  first  took  a  stand  as 
boys  and  girls  for  the  beginning  of  a  higher  spiritual  life. 
There  was  never  at  this  time  religious  friction  in  the 
community  and  the  feeling  between  Catholics  and  Protes- 
tants wras  always  fine  in  community  service.  Englewood 
owes  much  to  the  pure  Christian  lives  of  the  Byrne  fam- 
ily, the  Barrys,  the  McGurns,  the  McGinties  and  many 
other  splendid  Catholic  individuals.  Mr.  John  Byrne 
was  a  great  temperance  advocate  and  the  best  Sunday 
School  superintendent,  I  have  been  told,  that  St.  Anne's 
Church  at  55th  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue  ever  had. 
I  recall,  when  I  was  a  little  girl,  his  visit  to  the  old 
Presbyterian  Sunday  School  at  63rd  Street,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  service  his  grasping  the  hand  of  our  super- 
intendent warmly  and  complimenting  him  on  the  work 
done  in  this  Sunday  School  and  saying  he  had  come  to 
visit  and  get  better  methods  for  his  own  Sunday  School, 
and  that  he  would  be  able  to  take  back  helpful  things 
for  his  school   from  the  visit. 

Rev.  Walter  E.  Forsyth  was  the  second  pastor  of  the 
Englewood  Presbyterian  Church  and  was  its  pastor  when 
I  first  came  to  Englewood.  Mr.  P.  B.  Warner  was  its 
first  Sunday  School  superintendent  and  he  did  some 
pioneer  Sunday  School  organizing  in  South  Englewood 
and  in  other  nearby  localities.  This  brief  history  would 
be  incomplete  without  mention  of  dear  old  Uncle  Enoch 
and  Auntie  Wood  of  Harvard  Avenue,  whose  house 
was  always  open  to  anyone  who  needed  their  friendship. 
This  house  has  only  recently  been  torn  down  to  make 
way  for  an  apartment  building  just  next  to  the  large 
Barkey   apartments   which   have   been    erected   at   Harvard 


196  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Avenue  and  65th  Street;  the  Kents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  G. 
Warner,  Mr.  Warner  having  been  clerk  of  the  church 
for  many  years  and  a  trustee,  having  passed  home  at 
nearly  one  hundred  years  of  age ;  the  Mack  family,  who 
lived  in  the  old  brick  house  at  65th  Street  and  Grove 
Avenue,  which  seemed  in  those  days  to  be  almost  a 
mansion;  H.  B.  Lewis,  the  Redfields,  the  Condits,  Barrs, 
Johnsons,  Hunters,  the  Gross  family,  Mr.  David  Thomp- 
son's family,  the  Drysdels,  Howes,  Hulls,  Verbrycks, 
Wisdoms,  G.  J.  Thompson  and  wife,  Mr.  Fitch  and 
family,  Mr.  Fitch's  life  having  been  cut  off  one  morning 
while  crossing  the  Rock  Island  tracks,  the  Hubbards  and 
many  others  not  mentioned  here. 

Englewood's  amusements  in  her  primitive  days  cannot 
be  passed  by.  Those  who  were  fond  of  "tripping  the 
light  fantastic"  in  the  "Polka,"  "Waltz,"  "Schottische" 
or  "Virginia  Reel"  found  great  pleasure  in  the  old  Cham- 
plin  School  Hall,  or  in  similar  gatherings  at  the  Normal 
School  auditorium,  where  graduation  exercises,  musicals 
and  various  other  entertainments  were  held.  How  well 
do  we  remember  the  wonderful  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tions in  the  woods  and  grassy  vales,  where  Harvard  and 
Yale  avenues  cut  through  afterwards  and  are  now  lined 
by  spacious  and  beautiful  homes  and  apartment  buildings 
and  where  flights  of  oratory  were  indulged  in  on 
these  patriotic  occasions. 

Can  we  forget  the  ball  games  where  we  stood  in  the 
hot  sun,  for  hours  it  seemed,  or  sat  on  the  grass  beneath 
our  huge  sun  shades,  while  we  eagerly  watched  the  games 
to  shout  for  the  winning  side?  Then  we  must  not  forget 
the  classic  (?)  amusements  when  an  ambitious  youth 
clad  in  denim  overhalls  chased  a  frightened  greased  pig, 
for  the  possession  of  the  coveted  porker,  as  the  liberated 
animal  sped  hither  and  thither  to  escape  its  pursuers,  caus- 
ing consternation  and  dismay  as  it  happened  to  brush  past 
a  group  of  spectators,  sometimes  spoiling  the  appearance 
of  a  pretty  picnic  dress  or  a  light  colored  silk  dress 
which  the  owner  was  foolish  enough  to  wear  on  such  an 
occasion.  History  does  not  state  whether  it  was  captured, 
but  I  believe  Clark  T.  Northrup  claims  to  have  succeeded 
in    capturing    that    particular    porker.      Then    the    Sunday 


REMINISCENCES  197 

School  picnics  to  Beverly  Woods  and  away  out  in  the 
country  as  far  as  Cedar  Lake,  Indiana,  the  "Leap  Year" 
sleighing  parties  once  with  the  weather  at  zero  or  below 
where  the  girls  ran  behind  the  sleigh  to  get  warm,  leaving 
the  gentlemen  beneath  their  wrappings  in  the  "bob" 
sleigh,  the  skating  parties  over  east  toward  what  is  now 
Park  Manor  on  the  flats  where  the  boys  were  kind  enough 
to  take  along  hand  sleighs  and  draw  their  ladies  for  long 
stretches  of  glassy  surface  on  their  skates,  should  the 
ladies  became  tired  on  their  own  skates.  Oh,  these  were 
merry  sports ! 

On  our  sleigh  rides  we  would  sometimes  wind  up  at 
the  hospitable  farm  house  of  the  Chittick  farm  at  59th 
Street  and  Ashland  Avenue,  where  a  delightful  evening 
would   be   spent   in   merrymaking. 

Distances  did  not  count  in  those  days  and  we  can  still 
see  the  numerous  children  of  the  Chittick  family  wending 
their  way  across  the  vast  prairies,  unbroken  by  streets 
or  fences,  some  on  horses  and  some  on  "Shank's  Mare," 
as  they  came  to  Englewood  for  its  educational  advantages, 
all  able  now  to  take  their  places  in  their  various  life  voca- 
tions. 

This  sketch  is  only  a  reminiscence  of  some  of  the  past 
memories  of  Englewood  which  will  always  make  me 
feel  that,  travel  wdiere  I  may,  see  what  I  may,  in  God's 
world,  this  part  of  Chicago  will  always  be  the  dearest 
spot  on  earth  to  me. 

From  Jos.   C.   Grounds,   6106   Stewart   Avenue 

Here  are  a  few  "do  you  remembers"  that  might  prove 
of  interest,  especially  to  the  old  timers. 

Do  you  remember  when  Western  Avenue  was  referred 
to  as  "out  on  the  prairie"  and  we  boys  used  to  journey 
thither  in  the  spring  to  gather  "shooting  stars,"  violets, 
buttercups  and  other  prairie  flowers  and  our  fathers  and 
big  brothers  made  the  same  journey  in  the  fall  and  winter 
to  hunt  the  festive  rabbit? 

When  if  we  wanted  our  mail  we  used  to  have  to  go 
to  the  postoffice  in  the  old  Tillotson  block  and  be  our  own 
postman?  When  Fowler's  spike  mill  and  the  Sargent  Co. 
(now  the  American  Steel  Foundries  Co.)  occupied  the 
block  between   58th  and   59th   streets  on  Wallace  and   the 


198  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

scattered  neighbors  kicked   on  the  smoke? 

When   Rex   Beach,   the  now   famous   author   and   play 
wright,    lived    on   Tremont    Street    near    Wright    (Normal 
Boulevard)    and   attended   the    Sherwood   School? 

When  the  Champlin  School  was  a  little  dump  of  four 
small  rooms? 

When  Englewood  was  the  butt  of  all  jokes  in  the 
down  town  "variety"  shows? 

When  the  fire  department  used  the  old   fashioned  two 

wheeled  hose   cart,   drawn   by  one   horse   and   how  in   wet 

weather  the  engine  would  usually  get  "stuck"  in  the  mud 

of   the  unpaved   streets   while   the   fire   blazed   merrily  on? 

From   Mrs.   E.   M.  jarrett,  235   W.   61st   Place 

On  the  10th  day  of  July,  1861,  I  came  to  this  town 
from  Pittsburgh,  and  what  is  now  Englewood  was  then 
called  Rock  Island  Junction.  Houses  were  few  but  we 
succeeded  in  procuring  a  four  room  cottage  on  Wentworth 
Avenue  between  59th  and  60th  streets.  From  there  we 
moved  to  the  corner  of  School  and  63rd  streets.  My 
brother  purchased  three  acres  at  this  corner  and  we 
lived  in  the  old  house  which  was  built  by  Mr.  Westerfield, 
who  left  for  the  south.  The  house  now  stands  in  the 
alley  back  of  Madigan's  store  where  it  was  moved  to  give 
room  to  the  store.  Where  the  high  school  is  now  we 
had  our  school  house,  and  Mr.  Jarrett  was  teaching  at 
that  time  and  was  the  first  teacher  in  this  burg.  I  was 
one  of  his  pupils  and  there  finished  my  education,  and  in 
after  years   I  married  the   schoolmaster. 

The  Gerber  family  lived  on  School  Street,  which  is 
now  Englewood  Avenue,  and  on  the  corner  of  63rd  and 
Halsted  streets  lived  the  Crocker  family,  and  on  59th 
and  Halsted  streets  the  Dunagan  family.  At  the  corner 
of  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue  was  the  old  dummy 
house  and  below  that  were  many  shanties  for  the  rail- 
road hands,  and  believe  me,  there  were  lively  times.  My 
brother,  who  is  the  most  important  one  to  me  in  my  recol- 
lections, founded  the  postoffice.  At  the  corner  of  63rd 
Street  and  Stewart  Avenue  was  the  home  of  the  Timmer- 
man  family.  The  present  location  of  the  Reo  Hotel. 
The  first  church  was  built  at  the  corner  of  Yale 
Avenue   and   63rd   Street,   and   we   often   held   services   in 


REMINISCENCES  199 

the  old  school  house.  Then  on  Ross  Avenue  was  the  old 
Barman  home.  Our  first  and  greatest  excitement  was 
when  the  Normal  School  was  built.  The  first  general 
store  was  run  by  the  Barney  family.  The  first  dry  goods 
store  was  established  by  Mr.  Hanford,  then  later  by  the 
Thompson  family.  When  my  brother  left  the  road  the 
postofrice  was  then  removed  to  the  Tillotson  Block  and 
the  Hollenden  Hotel  was  the  first  hotel.  The  most  excit- 
ing thing  was,  that  our  ditches,  which  were  deep,  were 
filled  with  snakes  and  the  toads  and  frogs  gave  us  our 
music  at  night.  It  was  a  bleak  country  to  one  coming 
from  the  grand  old  mountains.  Well,  we  have  seen  many 
pleasures  and  many  sorrows  but  by  mixing  the  bitter  with 
the  sweet,  the  place  has  not  been  so  bad. 

From  J.  W.  Barney,  229  W.  63rd  Street 

J  came  to  Englewood  in  the  fall  of  1871  and  a  few 
months  laier,  February  22,  1872,  Barney  Brothers  started 
a  grocery  store  on  Wentworth  Avenue  near  61st  Place. 
There  was  no  lake  water,  no  sewer,  no  gas,  no  street  cars 
and  no  telephones.  The  postoffice  was  in  Mrs.  Clark's 
house  on  State  near  63rd  streets.  There  were  two  school 
buildings,  the  Cook  County  Normal  at  68th  Street  and 
Stewart  Avenue  and  the  old  two  story  brick  school  build- 
ing on  Princeton  Avenue  and  62nd   Street. 

There  were  two  churches:  the  Catholic  Church  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Went  worth  Avenue  and  55th  Street 
and  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Yale  Avenue  and  63rd   Street. 

There  were  two  depots:  the  C.  R.  I.  &  P.  and  L.  S.  & 
M.  S.  railroads  at  62nd  and  Clark  streets;  also  the  C.  P.  & 
Ft.  W.  Ry.  depot  at  63rd  and  Clark  streets. 

George  Sherwood  kept  a  hotel  or  rooming  house  on 
63rd  Street  east  of  Wentworth  Avenue.  If  one  missed 
either  the  Rock  Island  or  Lake  Shore  dummies,  it  was 
necessary  to  walk  to  39th  and  State  streets  and  take  a 
horsecar  in  order  to  get  down  to  the  city. 

From   David   R.   Tipton 

I  came  to  Chicago  in  1864.  There  was  no  Englewood. 
Chicago  Junction  was  a  transfer  point  and  the  depot  was 
at  62nd  Street.     The  agent,  Mr.  Clark,  lived  in  the  depot. 


200  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

There  were  three  railroads :  The  Michigan  Southern  & 
Northern  Indiana,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific,  and 
Pittsburgh  &  Ft.  Wayne. 

There  was  a  roadhouse  at  61st  and  State  streets  and 
south  of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad  was  another 
run  by  a  Mr.  Burkey  and  Mr.  King,  respectively.  There 
were  a  number  of  shanties  east  of  State  Street  which  were 
occupied  by  track  and  transfer  men.  The  town  was  called 
Englewood   on   December   17,    1868. 

In  the  Wake  of  the  News  in  Englewood 
By  Stephen  W.  Wheeler 

"This  Wake  is  conducted" — not  by  Harvey  T.  Wood- 
ruff of  the  Chicago  Tribune,  but  by  Stephen  W.  Wheeler, 
who  came  to  Englewood  in  August,  1871,  and  lived  there 
continuously   for   thirty-one   years. 

Having  a  few  recollections  of  its  early  days,  will  ask 
any  of  the  "old  timers"  if  they  "remember  way  back" 
to  the  time  that  lots  in  Englewood  were  first  advertised 
for  sale  in  the  Chicago  papers  in  the  summer  of  1871 
by  Eewis  &  Brooks,  real  estate  agents? 

"Do  you  remember"  when  there  were  only  three  rail- 
roads passing  through  Englewood?  The  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  &  Pacific,  the  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern, 
as  they  were  called  at  that  time,  having  a  small  joint 
depot  at  62nd  Street,  and  the  Pittsburgh  &  Fort  Wayne 
with  a  smaller  depot  at  63rd  Street,  both  on  the  ground 
level  ? 

"Do  you  remember"  the  first  time  that  you  went  to  the 
Fort  Wayne  depot  in  Chicago  and  asked  for  a  ticket  to 
Englewood  and  the  bright  young  man  at  the  ticket  win- 
dow informed  you  that  "there  was  no  such  place  on  the 
Fort  Wayne  road,"  and  you  replied  meekly  that  there 
certainly  was  and  the  depot  was  at  63rd  Street,  then  the 
bright  young  man  looked  up  with  some  degree  of  intelli- 
gence and  said,  "Oh,  we  call  that  the  Rock  Island  Junc- 
tion," and  sold  you  a  ticket  that  read  "From  Chicago  to 
Rock  Island  Junction?" 

That  was  the  experience  of  the  writer  the  first  time 
he   went  there   for   a   ticket   to   Englewood. 

Do  you  remember  when  the  Pittsburgh  &  Fort  Wayne 
road    ran    a    suburban   train    consisting   of    one   coach    and 


REMINISCENCES  201 

engine  combined,  making  its  three  or  four  trips  a  day  to 
and  from  Chicago,  and  the  train  was  called  "The  Port 
Wayne  Dummy?" 

Do  you  remember  way  back  when  one  could  stand  at 
the  Rock  Island  depot  at  62nd  Street  and  looking  to  the 
west  could  see  a  big  prairie,  dotted  here  and  there  with  a 
few  buildings  and  looming  above  all  was  the  little  brick 
school-house  at  61st  Street  now  called  the  "Champlin 
School"  ? 

Do  you  remember  when  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 
63rd  Street  and  Yale  Avenue  was  the  only  church  in 
Englewood?  Or  when  George  Chase  kept  a  grocery  and 
meat  market  at  the  northwest  corner  of  63rd  Street  and 
Wentworth  Avenue,  and  north  of  that  between  61st  and 
62nd  streets  there  was  another  grocery  and  meat  market 
kept  by  a  Mr.  Drake  and  north  of  that  was  Mr.  Tibbet's 
little  dry  goods  store  and  next  to  that  in  a  small  room 
was  the  Englewood  postofhce? 

Do  you  remember  when  there  was  a  small  country 
tavern  on  the  west  side  of  State  Street  at  or  near  61st 
Street  kept  by  a  Mr.  Burkey,  who  with  John  Milan  kept 
for  many  years  a  very  popular  restaurant  on  Clark  Street 
in  Chicago  under  the  firm  name  of  Burkey  and  Milan, 
and  at  State  and  60th  streets  was  Pat  Fagan's  store  filled 
with  a  miscellaneous  stock  of  goods  bought  at  different 
auction  sales?  Pat  was  great  at  attending  such  sales  and 
would  buy  anything  from  a  brass  door  plate  to  a  marble 
tombstone,  or  from  a  baby's  cradle  to  a  Steinway  piano. 
Anything  that  he  could  get  cheap,  he  was  sure  to  buy. 

Pat  was  a  genial  old  soul  and  I  knew  him  many  years 
ago,  when  I  was  quite  a  small  boy.  He  was  a  hatter 
by  trade  and  had  a  small  shop  in  his  back  yard  in  Chicago 
next  to  where  I  lived,  where  he  made  men's  high  top 
silk  hats. 

Do  you  remember  when  there  were  only  about  a  dozen 
or  fifteen  families  living  east  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad? 
They  were  A.  G.  Warner,  63rd  and  State  streets,  H.  B. 
Lewis  at  Wabash  Avenue  and  63rd  Street,  a  Mr.  Suther- 
land at  Indiana  Avenue  and  63rd  Street,  Mr.  Stebbins  at 
Indiana  Avenue  and  60th  Street,  north  of  that  Mrs.  Bliss, 
a  widow,  S.  W.  Wheeler  at  the  southwest  corner  of  61st 


202  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Street  and  Michigan  Avenue,  next  south  was  a  Mr. 
Parker  and  next  was  Airs.  Armstrong-,  the  widow  of  the 
late  George  B.  .Armstrong,  the  original  founder  of  the 
railway  mail  service.  Mr.  Charles  Brownell  at  the  north- 
east corner  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain,  a  widow  with  her  son, 
Charles,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Wabash  Avenue  and 
62nd  Street.  Henry  Kent  and  a  Mr.  Brooks  and  Mr. 
Briggs  on  Wabash  Avenue  between  62nd  and  63rd  streets, 
a  Mr.  Hulburt  on  Wabash  Avenue  near  60th  Street  and 
a  Mr.  Rartlett.  an  architect,  on  State  Street  near  60th 
Street. 

These  reminders  are  confined  to  the  year  of  1871,  for 
after  the  big  fire  in  Chicago  on  October  9  of  that  year, 
there  was  such  a  rush  for  homes  in  Englewood  and  the 
population  increased  so  rapidly  that  it  was  impossible  to 
keep  up  with   it. 

During  his  thirty-one  years  of  residence  in  Engle- 
wood, the  writer  of  this  saw  it  rise  from  a  mere  hamlet 
to  the  proportions  of  a  large  city.  When  he  left  there 
in  1902  there  were  more  than  50,000  people  living  within 
that  same  territory  that  cast  less  than  two  hundred  votes 
only  thirl)'   years   before. 

Reminiscences  of  Englewood 
By  A.  AW  McCornack,  302  W.  Marquette  Road 

On  a  hot  August  day  in  1876  I  first  landed  in  Engle- 
wood with  my  family  and  all  my  belongings,  which  were 
on  a  U.  S.  express  double  wagon,  I  being  agent  at  that 
time  at  La  Salle  station  of  that  company. 

Hie  only  previous  acquaintance  I  had  was  with  the 
Hunter  family  and  my  uncle,  James  McEldowney,  who 
had  a  store  and  market  at  61st  and  Wright  streets  (now 
Normal  Boulevard )  and  with  Wm.  Eakins,  his  son-in- 
law,  at  that  time  employed  in  his  store. 

At  that  time  the  horse  cars  came  south  only  to  39th 
Street  and  our  transportation  consisted  of  the  Lake  Shore, 
Rock  Island  and  the  Fort  Wayne  railroads.  Mr.  Clark- 
was  the  station  agent  at  the  Rock  Island  and  Lake  Shore 
depot  but  when  I  came  he  was  dead  and  Mitchell  was 
the  agent,  with  a   Mr.   McCogg,   ticket  agent. 

Clark's  wife,  daughter  and  twTo  sons  still  lived  in  a 
house  on  the  railroad  grounds  fronting  east  on  State  Street. 


REMINISCENCES  203 

Charles  E.  Husted  was  agent  at  the  Fort  Wayne  depot 
at  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue,  while  the  Rock 
Island   depot   was   at   62nd   Street  and   the   track. 

A.  B.  Cory  was  conductor  at  the  time  on  the  "Fort 
Wayne  dummy"  and  nights  they  housed  the  engine  in  an 
old  shed. 

Cory  was  many  years  afterward  conductor  on  the 
Chicago  and  Alton  railroad  and  only  died  about  a  year 
ago    (1921). 

The  Fort  Wayne  also  had  a  stop  at  61st  Street  and 
quite  a  number  used  that  stop:  Hubbard,  C.  W.  K. 
Cutter,  Bunker,  Abbott  Deacon,  and  Bushee  being  among 
those  I   remember. 

The  Rock  Island  also  stopped  at  59th  Street :  Ed 
Kirk,  Danforth,  Elias  Whited,  Mr.  Craig  and  Air.  Weir 
were  patrons  of  the  59th  Street  stop,  the  latter  two  having 
done  plumbing  work  in  Englewood  and  afterward  estab- 
lished the  plumbing  supply  house  of  Weir  &  Craig  down 
about  22nd  Street. 

The  Rock  Island  also  had  a  stop  at  65th  Street  and 
one  at  Normal  Station  on  68th  Street,  for  the  Normal 
School  just  west  of  the  station ;  D.  S.  Wentworth  being 
principal,  and   I  think  Mrs.   Wentworth  also   taught. 

West  of  the  school  was  Beck's  Park  and  some  of  the 
old  residents  are  still  there.  I  have  heard  A.  G.  Warner 
tell  of  the  arrangement  with  Beck  for  the  Normal  School 
grounds,  I  think  in  1869,  and  some  years  later  Beck 
returned  here  and  found  a  strip  of  fourteen  feet  on 
west  line  had  not  been  transferred  and  put  up  a  narrow 
building  when  an  individual  by  the  name  of  Teed  started 
some  kind  of  a  society  or  sect,  but  later  that  was  fixed 
and  they  were  torn  down. 

For  the  first  year  or  so  I  lived  in  a  cottage  belonging 
to  Pat  Lyons  which  now  stands  on  Grand  Army  lot  on 
Princeton  Avenue  (then  School  Street)  and  the  Forbes 
family  were  on  the  corner  of  School  and  63rd  streets, 
but  in  1878  I  purchased  the  one  and  a  half  story  house 
now  known  as  6309  Stewart  Avenue  and  in  the  fall  of 
1878  burned  out.  I  came  home  on  the  train  for  dinner 
and  as  I  crossed  at  Wentworth  Avenue  and  63rd  Street, 
saw   Charles   Lanyon,   who   had  a  harness   shop   on   Went- 


204  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

worth  Avenue,  who  said  "Your  house  is  on  lire,"  but 
Charles  would  tell  a  fish  story  if  that  would  scare  you 
and  I  doubted  it,  but  running  west  on  65th  Street  I  saw 
the  hose  through  Mr.  Veeder's  yard  and  found  the  roof 
of  my  little  house  all  gone.  Around  in  front  I  met  Rev. 
Frank  Bristol,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  who  said,  "I  did 
what  a  preacher  should,  I  saved  your  Bible";  but  he  had 
worked  hard  while  they  could  get  in  the  lower  part. 
Bristol  afterward  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  was  at 
the   church   where    President   McKinley    attended. 

Mrs.  Abel,  with  her  son  and  daughter,  lived  on  the 
corner  of  63rd  Street  and  Stewart  Avenue  and  the  old 
lady  kept  some  hens  and  one  evening  I  found  one  of 
them  had  come  in  an  open  window  and  made  a  nest  in 
my  woodshed  and  I  told  the  old  lady  owner  and  she 
seemed  put  out,  but  I  said,  "You  tell  your  hen  that  is  not 
polite,  tell  it  to  her  in  German  and  take  your  eggs  away. 

Old  Mr.  Newman  owned  the  corner  and  residence 
opposite  me  on  Stewart  Avenue  and  when  I  burned  out 
I  went  to  C.  S.  Red  field's  office  on  Wentworth  Avenue  to 
see  if  I  could  rent  a  part  of  the  Newman  house  for  a 
month  as  it  was  empty  and  I  think  I  saw  Frank  Robinson, 
who  was  employed  there,  and  he  advised  me  to  see  New- 
man as  he  thought  he  was  a  hard  man  to  deal  with.  I 
did  see  him  at  the  Barnes  House  on  West  Randolph  and 
Clinton  Streets,  rented  it  for  a  month,  and  no  trouble 
at  all. 

P.  W7.  George  had  taken  the  contract  of  rebuilding  and 
promised  me  the  house  in  one  month  and  carried  out  his 
agreement  to  the  letter.  T  think  he  and  John  Young 
afterward  did  some  building  together.  Of  the  early 
builders  I  know  C.  D.  Perry  did  some,  also  John  B.  Lan- 
yon,  Wisdom  Bros,  and  Worth  Bredd  did  considerable. 

When  I  moved  on  Stewart  Avenue  in  1878  Russell 
was  building  a  residence  on  Stewart  Avenue  and  64th 
Street  but  there  was  not  a  single  house  from  64th  to 
North  Normal  on  the  east  side  of  Stewart  and  but  a  few 
on  the  west  side  of  the  street.  The  Hunter  family  lived 
on  66th  Street  west  of  Stewart  Avenue. 

Old  Mr.  Rolfe  had  a  shop  on  the  north  side  of  65th 
Street    and    we    used    to    say    he    made    sewing    machines 


REMINISCENCES  205 

although  I  never  saw  any,  hut  I  think  the  Episcopal  peo- 
ple afterward  bought  the  shop  and  used  it  for  a  Sunday 
School  room. 

On  the  northwest  corner  of  Stewart  Avenue  and  63rd 
Street  lived  Mrs.  Timmerman  where  the  Marlowe  Theatre 
and  Hotel  Reo  now  stands. 

Charles  Pierce  lived  just  around  the  corner  from  me 
and  A.  H.  Veeder  lived  on  63rd  Street  and  Harvard 
Avenue  and  nothing  on  the  south  side  of  63rd  Street 
until  you  reached  Wentworth  Avenue  except  a  cottage 
which  I  think  belonged  to  Mr.  Drake. 

On  the  north  side  of  63rd  Street  was  a  house  first 
occupied  by  Hendershott,  who  was  called  the  "Drummer 
Boy  of  the  Rappahanock,"  but  afterward  was  occupied 
by  Mrs.  Young,  her  son  John,  and  his  sister,  who  after- 
ward became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Uhrig.  Old  Mr.  Damn 
lived  east  and  Mrs.  Lang  had  a  shoe  repair  shop  with 
the  little  hunch-back  doing  the  job. 

George  Chase  kept  a  grocery  at  63rd  Street  and 
Wentworth  Avenue  and  old  Mr.  Maynard  had  a  meat 
market.  Mr.  Hanford  had  a  dry  goods  store  and  on  the 
corner  of  62nd   Street   Pierpont  kept  a   drug   store. 

When  I  first  came  Sy  Tillotson  owned  the  Tillotson 
Block,  61st  Street  near  Wentworth  Avenue,  and  in  this 
hall   very  many  of   our   meetings   were  held. 

T  remember  of  Bob  Burdette's  lecture,  "The  Rise  and 
Fall  of  the  Mustache,"  school  commencements,  spiritualis- 
tic meetings,  etc. 

In  the  stores  were  Dr.  DeWolfe  with  a  drug  store, 
the  postoffice,  and  we  never  considered  an  entertainment 
complete  until  Postmaster  Smith  had  sung  "Old  Shady 
ama  CominV' 

Old  Mr.  Barney  also  had  a  grocery  store  on  Went- 
worth Avenue  and  his  son,  Fl etcher,  was  in  it,  but  I 
think  J.  W.  at  that  time  was  only  a  clerk. 

Dahlgren  had  a  grocery  store  at  68th  Street  and  Yale 
Avenue  and  McClintock  had  a  fair  and  gun  store  and  did 
considerable  building,  also,  at  68th  Street  and  Yale  Ave- 
nue. Mr.  McClintock  had  been  in  my  regiment  in  the 
army  but  afterward  went  to  California  and,  I  think,  died 
there. 


206  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

We  had  three  doctors  when  I  came — Dr.  Lovewell, 
Dr.  Champlin,  and  Dr.  Chavett.  The  Champlin  School 
was  named  after  the  second  named.  We  also  had  our 
political  squabbles. 

I  remember  going  to  a  meeting  as  a  delegate  with 
Peter  McGurn.  I  was  a  Republican  and  Peter  was  a 
Democrat  but  I  think  we  formed  a  coalition  to  down 
Buck  McCarthy. 

"The  Eye"  was  published  a  long  time,  and  I  remem- 
ber  later,   "The  Little  Rambler." 

In  August,  1876,  there  were  only  three  churches  in 
Englewood :  The  Presbyterian,  corner  of  Yale  Avenue 
and  63rd  Street,  where  the  State  Bank  now  is,  and 
Walter  Forsyth  was  the  preacher.  Some  of  the  promi- 
nent members  were  A.  B.  Condit,  A.  H.  Veeder,  George 
Muirhead,  A.  G.  WTagner,  Andrew  Drysdale,  Mrs.  D.  W. 
Thompson,  the  Hunter  family,  and  many  others. 

The  Baptist  Church  on  Englewood  Avenne  on  what  is 
now  school  grounds,  and  I  think  the  preacher's  name 
was  Roberts.  Prominent  members  were :  Messrs.  Nich- 
ols,   Thearle,    Maynard,    Dennison,    Fisher,    and    others. 

The  Methodist  Church,  64th  Street  and  Stewart  Ave- 
nue, Frank  Bristol,  minister.  Prominent  members  were: 
Messrs.   Staver,   Petton,   Morrison,  A.  J.   Bird  and   others. 

A  Bit  of  Englewood  History 
By  B.  B.  Redneld 

This  place  was  known  as  "The  Junction"  from  the 
time  the  Rock  Island  and  Lake  Shore  railroads  came 
through  until  1869.  At  this  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry 
B.  Lewis  lived  on  Wabash  Avenue  near  63rd  Street. 
Mrs.  Lewis  had  recently  visited  Englewood,  New  Jersey, 
and  thought  it  would  be  nice  to  name  this  place  after 
that  city  and  according  to  her  suggestion  it  was  called 
Englewood.  At  that  time  it  was  sparsely  settled  and 
there   was  a  great   deal   of   vacant   propery. 

In  1872,  E.  N.  and  W.  E.  Tillotson  built  several  frame 
houses  on  both  sides  of  La  Salle  Street  from  58th  to  59th 
and  60th  to  61st  streets,  also  on  Wentworth  Avenue 
between  60th  and  61st  streets  and  erected  a  three  story 
brick  veneered  building  of  flats,  stores  and  a  club  house 
for  the  Senior  Gentlemen's  Club  and  a  hall  for  entertain- 


REMINISCENCES  207 

merits ;  the  postoffice  was  in  this  building  for  several 
years ;  it  was  finally  known  as  the  Hollenden  Hotel,  until 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  a  few  years  since. 

We  had  no  carriers  of  mail  in  those  days.  There  were 
board  walks  on  most  of  the  streets  between  Halsted  and 
State  streets  and  55th  and  71st  streets.  Most  of  the 
people  knew  each  other  and  they  visited  in  the  postoffice 
or  wherever  they  happened  to  meet ;  today  some  of  us 
scarcely  know   our  next   door   neighbor. 

The  business  section  and  most  all  of  the  stores  were 
located  from  61st  Place  to  63rd  Street,  on  the  west  side 
of  Wentworth  Avenue  and  on  63rd  Street  to  the  railroad 
tracks.  There  were  a  few  stores  on  State  Street  north  of 
63rd  Street,  also  a  few  on  Halsted  Street  from  61st  to 
63rd  streets.  The  only  paved  streets  were  Wentworth 
Avenue  through  Englewood  as  far  south  as  71st  Street, 
Stewart  Avenue  to  Normal  Park  and  Halsted  Street 
throughout  Englewood  and  southwest  on  Vincennes  Road. 
There  were  no  buildings  on  63rd  Street  from  State  Street 
to  Stony  Island  Avenue.  Dr.  Trine  had  a  fine  home  on 
the  south  side  of  63rd  Street  near  University  Avenue 
which  he  kept  painted  white  and  always  in  fine  repair. 
There  were  few  other  houses  on  the  street  near  his  home. 
There  was  hazel  brush  growing  in  the  street,  which  he 
had  to  drive  around,  from  University  Avenue  to  Stony 
Island  Avenue  until  1892. 

There  were  no  store  buildings  on  West  63rd  Street 
from  Wentworth  Avenue  to  Chicago  Lawn  and  there 
were  only  a  few  out  there.  There  were  no  houses  on 
61st  Street  or  61st  Place,  except  one  on  the  corner  of  6ls1 
Place  on  Went  worth  Avenue,  between  Wentworth  an  1 
Princeton  avenues. 

There  was  only  one  house  on  Englewood  Avenue  be- 
tween Stewart  Avenue  and  Normal  Boulevard.  There 
were  none  on  the  south  side  of  62nd  Street  between  the 
same  streets.  The  rest  of  this  section  was  sparsely  set- 
tled from  59th  to  63rd  streets.  There  was  a  block  of 
houses  on  the  north  side  of  61st  Street  between  Stewart 
Avenue  and  Normal  Boulevard,  and  several  on  60th 
Place  between  same  streets  and  six  acres  vacant  between 
60th    Street  and  60th   Place  and   Wentworth   Avenue  and 


208  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Princeton  Avenue.  The  property  was  all  vacant  between 
65th  and  67th  streets  except  one  house  on  Yale  Avenue 
between  65th  and  66th  streets.  All  was  vacant  on  Harvard 
south  of  65th  and  the  east  side  of  Stewart  Avenue  between 
64th  Street  and  Normal  Parkway,  on  64th  and  69th 
streets  to  Ashland  Avenue  except  two  shacks  on  the  hill. 
This  property  was  used  for  garden  purposes  and  farmers 
cut  hay  from  part  of  it. 

Most  of  the  property  at  Normal  Park  was  vacant. 
There  wasn't  any  market  for  vacant  property  for  a  few 
years  after  1873  and  few  sales  were  made  in  1876,  but 
from  that  time  until  1893  Englewood  continued  to  grow 
very  fast.  Prices  were  firm  and  with  an  upward  tendency 
and  it  has  held  its  own  although  vacant  property  on  61st 
Street,  as  described  above,  was  selling  in  the  early  '80s 
at  from  $25.00  to  $28.00  per  foot.  62nd  Street  and 
Englewood  Avenue,  also  described  above,  sold  from  $25.00 
to  $27.00  per  foot.  Other  vacant  property  between  59th 
and  63rd  streets  and  Wallace  and  Wentworth  avenues 
sold  from  $20.00  to  $30.00  per  foot.  An  auction  sale  of 
vacant  property  between  Wallace  Street  and  Stewart 
Avenue,  67th  and  69th  streets  and  Normal  Parkway 
property  sold  at  from  $9.00  to  $15.00  per  foot.  A  lot  on 
63rd  Street  near  WTentworth  Avenue  sold  for  $25.00 
per  foot ;  other  vacant  lots  on  63rd  Street  between  Prince- 
ton Avenue  and  Normal  Boulevard  sold  for  $37.50  to 
$55.00.  Many  lots  between  63rd  and  67th  streets,  Wallace 
and  Halsted  streets  sold  for  from  $9.00  to  $12.00  per  foot. 

Fifty  by  about  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Halsted  and  63rd  streets  was  for  sale 
for  $4,000.00,  but  customers  didn't  want  it ;  then  it  raised 
to  $5,000.00;  no  one  took  it  at  this  price.  I  believe  the 
present  owner  purchased  same   for  $100,000.00. 

The  property  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Halsted  and 
63rd  streets,  where  Becker,  Ryan  &  Co.'s  store  now  is, 
was  on  the  market  for  some  time  for  from  $75.00  to 
$85.00  per  foot.  (Anyone  who  might  look  up  the  value 
of  this  property  today,  would  be  surprised  to  know  what 
they  would  have  made  had  they  purchased  these  corners 
at  that  time.) 

My  brother,  C.  S.  Redfield,  subdivided  80  acres  at  the 


REMINISCENCES  209 

northeast  corner  of  Halsted  and  79th  streets  (known  then 
as  West  Auburn  Park)  and  erected  many  fine  residences. 
He  sold  this  property  out  in  a  short  time  and  Mr.  Red- 
field  is  now  a  pioneer  real  estate  agent  and  builder  in 
the  same  line  of  business  in  California. 

Dr.  L.  W.  Beck  made  a  park  out  of  the  property 
between  Stewart  Avenue  and  Halsted  Street,  67th  and 
69th  streets  and  Normal  Parkway.  He  drilled  an  artesian 
well  on  Wallace  Street  between  67th  and  68th  streets 
and  the  water  came  up  with  such  force  that  it  was 
drained  at  first  to  a  ditch  along  Halsted  Street  to  the 
Chicago  River;  later  they  dug  a  ditch  on  the  east  line 
of  Normal  Boulevard.  This  water  was  liked  by  the  peo- 
ple and  on  pleasant  days  and  especially  on  Sundays  many 
people  went  there  with  jugs  to  carry  away  the  water, 
which  was  free.  A  63rd  Street  druggist  finally  bought 
the  land  on  which  this  well  was  located. 

There  was  a  meeting  called  at  this  time  at  the  hall  of 
the  Normal  School  Building  to  protest  against  having  to 
pay  for  this  artesian  well  water ;  they  talked  of  drilling 
a  free  artesian  well  again. 

There  was  a  fine  spring  of  water  on  the  north  side  of 
63rd  Street  and  about  two  hundred  feet  west  of  Prince- 
ton  Avenue  on  the   Forbes   property. 

The  lake  water  was  laid  in  the  principal  streets  of 
Englewood  from  55th  to  71st  streets  and  from  Indiana 
Avenue  to  Halsted  Street,  and  there  were  many  drilled 
wells  throughout  the  place. 

The  builders  of  Central  Englewood  in  the  early  days : 
E.  N.  and  N.  E.  Tillotson,  N.  O.  Budd,  S.  D.  Perry, 
E.  Bushee,  C.  C.  Haskins,  C.  S.  Redfield,  Young  and 
George,  Congressmen,  E.  W.  Sproul,  Ishi  Smith,  F.  A. 
Anderson  &  Brother,  E.  A.  Westberg  &  Brother,  Mr. 
Peterson,  Mr.  Rowley,  Everett  Rich,  E.  L.  Lord,  Ira  W. 
Allen,  and  others. 

Letters  from   Old  Timers 

From  J.  B.  McGinty 

One  morning  in  early  September,   1869,  I  set  foot  for 

the  first  time  on  the  soil,  or  sidewalk,  of  Englewood,  on 

the    corner    of    62nd    and    School    streets — School    Street 

then,   is  now   Princeton   Avenue — having   alighted   from   a 


210  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

"Fort  Wayne  Dummy"  at  the  termination  of  a  journey 
from  Lemont  through  Chicago  to  the  Cook  County  Nor- 
mal   School. 

The  school  building  was  a  four  room  brick  structure 
standing  on  the  present  site  of  the  old  Carter  High 
School. 

The  principal  of  the  infant  Normal  School,  which  had 
been  established  in  Blue  Island  in  September,  1867,  finally 
located  in  Englewood  in  September,  1869,  was  D.  S. 
Wentworth  of  revered  memory.  There  were  three  other 
teachers,  one  of  whom  was  Miss  Frost,  who,  within  a 
year  or  so,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Wentworth. 

There  were  very  few  houses  in  Englewood  at  this 
time.  There  was  a  dwelling  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
63rd  Street  and  Stewart  Avenue  and  one  on  the  north- 
west corner.  As  far  as  my  memory  serves,  there  was 
no  other  habitation  nor  building  of  any  sort  on  63rd 
Street  between  Stewart  Avenue  and  Halsted  Street  nor 
a  house  of  any  kind  on  Stewart  Avenue  from  61st  Street 
to  the  present  site  of  the  Chicago  Normal  School. 

63rd  Street  was  a  mud  road  with  ditches  filled  with 
water  on  either  side,  but  Stewart  Avenue  could  not  even 
boast  of  that  distinction ;  it  was  open  all  right,  but  its 
side  ditches  were  insignificant  affairs.  Normal  Avenue 
was  still  unknown  but  Eggleston  Avenue  was  Dickey 
Street. 

One  of  the  most  pretentious  of  the  newer  dwellings  of 
the  budding  Englewood,  which  but  a  year  or  two  previous 
had  been  known  as  "The  Junction,"  was  that  of  Mr.  H.  L. 
Lewis,  north  of  63rd  Street  and  east  of  State  Street. 
One  of  the  oldest  was  that  of  Mrs.  Clark  on  State  Street 
north  of  63rd  Street.  The  postoffice  was  located  in  Mrs. 
Clark's  dwelling,  and  it  was  there  I  boarded  during  my 
two  months'  or  more  sojourn  in  Englewood.  The  house 
is  standing  to  this  day,  I  believe. 

In  those  early  days  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
Rev.  Forsythe,  pastor,  was  located  on  63rd  Street  between 
what  are  now  Harvard  and  Yale  avenues,  no  trace  of 
either  of  these  streets  being  then  visible.  The  region 
throughout  which  these  streets  now  extend  was  a  series 
of   grassy  blades   and   young   oak-crowned   ridges. 


REMINISCENCES  211 

A  Catholic  parish  was  established  early  in  1870  and 
its  pastor  and  people  had  purchased  a  frame  building 
somewhere  from  a  Jewish  congregation,  moved  it  into 
Wentworth  Avenue  a  little  south  of  55th  Street  and 
occupied  it  for  several  years  afterward  as  a  place  of 
worship. 

Englewood's  first  grouped  buildings  were  along  Went- 
worth Avenue  from  61st  to  64th  streets.  The  Tillotson 
Block  on  61st  Street  was  the  first  pretentious  business 
building. 

From  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  Cook 
County  Normal  School  on  the  twenty-acre  tract  donated 
by  Mr.  Beck,  the  growth  of  Englewood  was  continuous 
and  rapid.  Along  with  it  grew  up  the  stock  yards  dis- 
trict and  that  known  for  years  as  the  Rock  Island  shops. 

All  the  remainder  of  the  Town  of  Lake  was  a  vast 
uninhabited  area,  in  those  early  days,  with  here  and 
there  a  farm,  such  as  P^agin's  on  State  Street,  Garra- 
brant's  on  Wallace  Street  near  59th  Street  and  Crocker's 
on  Halsted  Street.  In  the  fall  of  1870,  the  new  Cook- 
County  School  building  was  completed  and  occupied. 
George  Muirhead,  a  vigorous  young  man  of  33  or  34 
years,  was  its  engineer.  In  that  same  year  there  came  to 
Englewood  numerous  persons  who,  like  George  Muir- 
head, became  men  of  influence  in  its  affairs.  Among  these 
were  Dr.  A.  H.  Champlin  and  Professor  John  Byrne. 

The  Author  Reminiscences 

In  the  early  days  young  men  of  Englewood  played 
baseball  on  the  prairie  between  61st  and  62nd  streets, 
Wentworth  Avenue  and  the  Rock  Island  Railroad.  They 
and  the  citizens  had  great  times.  Also  they  flooded  the 
prairie  in  the  winter  with  lake  water  between  62nd  Street 
and  the  Fort  Wayne  Railroad  east  of  Wentworth  Avenue 
and  a  great  many  enjoyed  themselves  skating  on  the  ice. 

For  transportation  we  depended  entirely  on  steam 
railroads.  Coming  home  from  the  city  the  last  train 
on  the  Rock  Island  was  at  12:30  A.  M.  If  you  did  not 
catch  this  train  you  would  have  to  stay  all  night  in  the 
city  or  take  the  horse  cars  on  State  Street  to  Root  Street 
and  walk  the  rest  of  the  way  home. 

The    fire    department    depended    upon    volunteers    and 


212  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

two  steam  engines,  obtaining  their  force  from  the  pumps. 
Barney  Brothers'  grocery  store  near  the  property  supplied 
wooden  pails.  The  "fire  department"  stationed  themselves 
on  the  rear  stairs  from  basement  to  attic,  pails  of  water 
were  handed  one  to  another  and  in  this  way  the  fire  was 
extinguished  and  the  property  was  saved.  The  frame 
house  on  Ross  Avenue  north  of  66th  Street  caught  fire 
and  could  not  get  water  above  the  first  story.  The  second 
story  burned,  but  saved  the  first  floor  and  basement. 
The  building  at  60th  and  State  streets  at  rear  end  was 
saved  by  the  hand  work  of  this  volunteer  force  and  the 
front  part  of  the  building  was  saved. 

In  another  place  we  spoke  of  a  large  barn  erected  by 
Patrick  Fagan  in  the  rear  of  his  property  on  State  Street 
and  also  of  a  large  water  tank  he  had  had  brought  out 
from  Camp  Douglas  when  it  was  abandoned.  One  of 
the  accepted  and  usual  pleasures  of  the  town  boy  was  to 
slide  down  the  steep  roof  of  one  side  of  the  barn  and 
land  harmlessly  into  a  great  pile  of  hay.  After  making 
this  descent  a  number  of  times,  it  was  suggested  always 
to  some  newcomer,  to  make  the  slide  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  barn.  The  new  boy,  expecting  to  land  in  a  hay 
stack  the  same  as  on  the  other  side,  would  make  the 
rapid  descent  with  a  triumphant  yell  and  greatly  to  his 
surprise  would  land  in  the  well  filled  water  tank. 

The  rivalry  between  the  Englewood  and  the  stock 
yards  crowds,  especially  at  election  time,  was  a  source 
of  great  interest  and  some  very  warm  battles  of  fisticuffs 
and  even  with  stones  and  clubs,  were  the  result.  One 
doughty  little  champion  from  Englewood,  who  was  em- 
ployed at  the  yards,  was  generally  in  every  mix-up  that 
occurred.  One  night  returning  from  a  political  meeting 
on  Halsted  Street,  with  sufficient  spiritual  encouragement 
imbibed  from  McCarthy's  barrel,  he,  with  a  congenial 
companion,  was  passing-  Fogarty's  new  saloon  and  heard 
loud  boastings  and  congratulations  of  how  the  Englewood 
crowd  was  "done  up."  This  was  more  than  the  little 
champion  could  stand,  so  he  remarked  to  his  comrade, 
"Jist  ye  sthand  out  here  an'  Oi'll  go  in  an'  throw  the 
whole  gang  iv  thim  out.  Awl  yez  need  to  do  is  to  count 
thim  as  they  kirn  thro'   the   windy."     Bravely  he   walked 


REMINISCENCES  213 

into  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  threw  his  coat  and  hat  on 
the  floor  and  spat  on  his  hands — and  the  next  thing  his 
comrade,  whom  he  had  left  on  the  outside,  knew  a  dis- 
ordered mass  came  sailing  through  the  window  and  landed 
on  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  him.  Bravely  eyeing  the 
bundle  the  friend  shouted,  "One."  Just  then  the  dis- 
ordered bundle  became  animated  and  the  would-be  cham- 
pion sat  up  and  mournfully  remarked,  "Shut  up,  ye 
dommed  fool,  it's  me." 

While  this  is  scarcely  the  place  for  a  funny  story,  a 
bit  of  reminiscence  comes  in  so  aptly  in  speaking  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  that  we  will  take  the  space  to  tell  it. 
A  group  of  hardworking  women  were  preparing  to  give 
a  chicken  supper  at  the  church  for  the  benefit  of  the 
building  fund,  as  it  was  necessary  to  enlarge  the  old 
church  and  it  was  constantly  under  repairs.  Being  rather 
tired  late  in  the  afternoon,  one  of  the  ladies  remarked 
discouragingly,  "Well,  after  all  of  our  hard  work  and  all 
the  money  we  make  and  spend  in  patching  this  old  build- 
ing, we  still  have  an  old  building."  Another  one,  the 
leader  of  the  group,  jokingly  remarked,  "Well,  that  could 
be  easily  remedied ;  the  old  building  is  insured  and  all 
that  we  need  do  would  be  to  throw  a  lighted  match  on 
the  floor  when  we  left  for  supper  and  close  the  door." 
The  ladies  then  went  home  to  their  own  suppers  and  to 
prepare  for  the  evening  entertainment,  but  scarcely  had 
they  gotten  home  before  the  whole  village  was  apprised 
of  a  fire  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  the  old  building 
was  soon  reduced  to  charred  embers.  The  coincidence  of 
the  fire  at  this  particular  time  and  the  remark  of  the 
prominent  lady  member  of  the  committee  made  it  most 
embarrassing,  for  some  of  those  ladies  and  their  husbands 
took  special  delight  in  twitting  them  upon  the  means  they 
took  to   secure  a   new   church. 

Englewood,  like  all  small  towns,  had  its  own  little 
groups  or  factions  and  sometimes  rivalry  and  competition 
between  them  grew  to  fierce  antagonism.  We  recall  a 
postmaster  whose  wife  served  in  the  office  and  who  were 
very  close  friends  of  the  owners  of  one  of  the  weekly 
papers.  The  publisher  of  a  rival  paper  found  it  impossi- 
ble  to    get    regular   delivery   of    his   paper.      One    day   he 


214  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

called  up  the  office  for  a  paper  which  he  had  previously 
mailed  to  a  fictitious  name,  and  after  the  lady  clerk  had 
finished  the  chapter  she  was  reading  and  was  otherwise 
at  her  perfect  leisure,  he  was  curtly  informed  that  there 
was  no  mail  for  such  a  person.  But  when  informed  the 
expected  mail  was  a  copy  of  a  certain  newspaper,  the 
lady    promptly    informed    him,    "No    one    cares    for    that 

paper   anyhow.      Why   don't   you   take   the   ?"      Then 

the  enquirer  identified  himself  and  was  not  surprised  to 
find  that  his  paper  was  only  distributed  when  there  was 
nothing  else  to  do  and  entirely  at  the  convenience  of  the 
unfriendly  government  employees.  It  did  not  take  long 
for  the  newspaper  man  to  get  in  touch  with  the  postoffice 
authorities  and  there  was  a  wonderful  improvement  in 
the  delivery  of  his  paper  thereafter.  Later  on,  when  the 
discriminated  against  paper  became  of  some  importance, 
both  the  former  postmaster  and  his  wife  were  very  good 
friends  of  the  publisher,  but  he  took  special  delight  in 
reminding  them  of  their  discriminations  used  before. 

We  once  had  a  doctor  practicing  on  Wentworth  Ave- 
nue who  was  exceedingly  thin  and  cadaverous  looking. 
His  bones  showed  through  his  skin  so  much  as  to  be 
remarkable,  while  his  eyes  were  deep  sunken  in  his  face 
and  made  him  rather  startling  when  first  met.  One  of 
the  boys  used  to  deliver  the  daily  papers  to  him  regularly 
and  one  Saturday  called  in  to  collect  for  the  week's  paper 
and  was  astonished  to  see  a  closet  door  swing  open  and 
gazing  inside,  he  saw  a  perfectly  articulated  skeleton 
dangling  from  a  frame.  The  boy  gave  a  whoop  and  fled 
from  the  office.  As  he  was  delivering  the  Monday  papers, 
the  doctor  appeared  at  the  office  door  with  the  pay  for 
the  past  week's  papers  in  his  hand  and  offered  to  pay 
the  boy,  who  gave  him  one  glance,  jumped  over  the  front 
fence,  leaving  his  papers  behind,  and  shouted,  "You 
can't  fool  me,  you  danied  old  skeleton,  if  you  have  got 
your  clothes  on."  This  boy  is  now  a  prosperous  business 
man  and  sometimes  tells  the  story  with  great  glee. 

In  the  old  days  the  stock  yards  crowd  predominated 
and  had  most  of  the  political  power,  although  party  lines 
were  not  always  very  strictly  drawn.  The  appointive 
officers  were  always  a  source  of  great  rivalry  and  Engle- 


REMINISCENCES  215 

wood  had  a  standing  complaint  that  citizens  did  not  re- 
ceive a  fair  share  of  them.  The  story  was  started  that 
a  certain  foxy  old  gentleman,  living  in  the  Yards  district, 
had  secured  the  promise  of  the  appointment  for  a  police- 
man and  then  sent  to  Ireland  for  a  cousin  to  come  over 
and  fill  the  position.  When  accused  of  this  the  Hibernian 
answered,  "Shure,  that  do  be  a  dommed  loie.  Me  cousin 
wor  here  two  weeks  before  Oi  appointed  him." 

Recollections  of  an  Old  Englewood  Boy 
By  Edward  Josenhans 

My  people  came  to  Englewood  as  early  as  1855.  In 
that  year,  my  father,  then  a  single  young  man,  was  em- 
ployed in  grading  some  of  the  roads  entering  Chicago 
from  the  south,  among  them  State  Street,  Halsted  Street 
and  Vincennes  Road.  Working  with  him  at  that  time 
were  Mr.  Matthias  Schmidt,  who  afterwards  for  many 
years  lived  at  South  Englewood,  or  Gresham,  as  it  is 
now  called,  and  Mr.  Luther  Crocker,  who  lived  with  his 
father,  Samuel  S.  Crocker,  in  the  homestead  which  had 
just  been  established  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Halsted 
and  63rd  streets,  now  owned  by  Mr.  William  Bromstedt. 
Mr.  Crocker  was  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1907,  the 
oldest  continuous  resident  of  Englewood,  so  far  as  I 
know\ 

At  the  time  referred  to  above,  and  for  some  years 
afterwards,  the  settlement  was  known  as  Junction  Grove, 
from  the  junction  of  the  Rock  Island  and  Fort  Wayne 
Railroads.  The  name  of  Englewood,  I  think  was  pro- 
posed by  an  early  settler  in  honor  of  his  home  town, 
Englewood,  New  Jersey. 

My  father  remained  in  the  neighborhood  off  and  on 
until  1861,  wrhen  he  went  to  the  war,  serving  three 
years,  coming  back  in  1864  and  making  his  home  on  the 
North  Side.  In  the  meantime  my  grand  uncle  and  aunt, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  L.  Gerber,  established  their  home 
on  a  tract  of  land  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Halsted 
and  62nd  streets,  in  1857.  Mr.  Gerber  was  engaged  in 
business  in  the  city  and  was  active  in  town  affairs  in  the 
old  Town  of  Lake,  at  one  time  being  supervisor.  He 
was  also  among  those  who  were  instrumental  in  having 
the    Normal   School   located   here.      He   died   in    1873   but 


216  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Mrs.  Gerber  continued  to  reside  in  the  old  homestead 
until  her  death  in  1913,  a  continuous  residence  of  56 
years  in  the  same  house.  The  house,  after  standing  62 
years,  was  removed  in  1919  to  make  way  for  a  business 
building. 

My  mother,  who  was  raised  by  her  uncle  and  aunt, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gerber,  attended  school  in  the  first  building 
on  the  Champlin  School  site.  Mr.  Crocker  also  attended 
there.  This  was  in  the  late  '50s.  The  teacher  at  this 
time  was  E.  M.  Jarrett,  who  made  his  home  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gerber.  Later  on  some  of  the  teachers  at  the 
Normal  School  took  lodgings  at  the  Gerber  residence. 

My  parents  were  married  at  the  Gerber  house  in  1866 
and  went  to  live  on  North  Wells  Street.  They  were 
burned  out  in  the  great  fire  of  1871.  Coming  south,  they 
located  for  a  few  months  at  22nd  Street  and  Archer 
Avenue  and  then  in  1872,  built  the  home  on  the  prairie, 
fronting  south  toward  what  is  now  61st  Place,  on  ground 
running  west  to  Halsted  Street.  Here  four  of  us  were 
born  and  here  both  of  my  parents  died.  One  of  my 
sisters  has  lived  the  entire  period  of  fifty  years  in  this 
house  and  one  brother,  born  there  in  1874,  has  never 
lived  anywhere  else.  After  a  while  a  street  was  ex- 
tended east  and  west  known  first  as  Barney  Street,  then 
Chestnut  Street  and  now  West  61st  Place. 

In  1882  or  1883  when  I  first  went  to  school,  we  were 
sent  to  the  Champlin  School.  Soon  after  an  old  store 
owned  by  Dr.  Chavette,  Englewood's  pioneer  physician, 
on  Halsted  Street,  where  the  Empress  Theatre  is  now 
located,  was  made  ready  for  school  purposes  and  we  were 
sent  there.  Here  Mrs.  D.  S.  Wentworth  was  our  teacher, 
and  her  son,  Stanley,  one  of  the  pupils.  Later  we  went 
to  school  in  two  frame  residences  in  the  neighborhood 
while  the  new  Kershaw  School  was  in  course  of  con- 
struction. At  the  Kershaw  School,  and  before  it  was 
completed,  we  had  Mr.  J.  Henry  Zeis  for  our  principal. 
He  remained  until  his  death  in  about  1897.  Later  on 
we  went  to   the   high   school. 

I  can  just  about  remember  when  the  Western  Indiana, 
or  "New  Road,"  as  it  was  called,  went  through.  This 
was  a  great  improvement,  as  before  that  time,  the  people 


REMINISCENCES  217 

were  obliged  to  walk  to  the  Rock  Island  station  at  62nd 
and  La  Salle  streets,  or  the  Fort  Wayne  station  at  the 
junction  with  the  Rock  Island,  no  small  matter  when  it 
had  to  be  done  twice  a  day,  through  the  great  snow- 
drifts of  those  days.  Of  course  this  was  before  the  days 
of  cable  or  horse  cars  out  here  in  the  old  Town  of  Lake. 

I  remember  the  first  horse  car  on  Halsted  Street, 
beginning  at  40th  Street  (the  cars  from  down  town  did 
not  cross  the  railroad  tracks)  and  running  to  63rd  Street, 
then  east  on  63rd  Street  to  the  old  Fort  Wayne  depot. 
A  little  later,  I  think,  the  track  was  laid  north  in 
Wentworth  Avenue  to  61st  Street  and  crossed  the  Fort 
Wayne  and  Rock  Island  and  Lake  Shore  tracks  on  that 
great  improvement  known  as  the  "61  st  Street  viaduct" 
and  connected  with  the  end  of  the  State  Street  cable 
line  for  down  town. 

In  those  early  days  Wentworth  Avenue,  from  61st  to 
63rd  streets,  was  the  business  center  of  Englewood  and 
the  postoffice  was  in  the  building  just  east  of  Wentworth 
Avenue  on  the  north  side  of  61st  Street.  On  the  upper 
floor  of  this  same  building  was  Tillotson's  Hall,  where 
most  of  the  entertainments  and  public  meetings  were  held. 

My  memory  goes  back  to  the  time  when  there  were 
hardly  a  dozen  houses  west  of  Halsted  Street  and  south 
of  the  boulevard  at  55th  Street.  East  of  Halsted  the 
territory  had  been  built  up  to  a  certain  extent  at  an 
earlier  date,  but  it  was  not  until  along  about  1887-88-89 
that  the  country  to  the  west  began  to  be  subdivided  and 
built  upon.  Until  then  it  was  pretty  much  open  country 
south  of  55th  Street  to  about  61st  Street.  It  was  all 
vacant  to  59th  Street,  if  I  remember  right.  At  about 
this  time  Gus  Lundberg  located  his  real  estate  office  in 
the  cabbage  field  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Halsted 
and  59th  streets,  being  the  pioneer  real  estate  man  in 
this  part  of  the  town.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
settlement  of  that  part  along  59th  Street,  north  and  south 
of  59th  Street,  although  the  "cabbage  patch"  extending 
from  Halsted  to  Morgan  streets,  and  from  57th  to  59th 
streets,   remained  unimproved   for  many  years   longer. 

There  were  one  or  two  houses  along  south  of  59th 
Street,    and    one   at    about   60th    Place,    occupied    by    Mr. 


218  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

Frebel,  a  gardener,  who  tilled  the  soil  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Halsted  and  61st  streets.  On  this  last  mentioned 
corner  stood  the  little  house  occupied  by  Johnny  Moore 
and  his  wife,  Mary,  who  came  from  nobody  knew  where. 
Johnny  did  odd  jobs  and  was  known  to  everybody  along 
Halsted  Street.  At  the  southwest  corner  stood  the  old 
saloon  building,  with  its  sheds  running  along  south,  where 
the  farmers  drove  in  to  feed  their  horses  and  take  dinner 
in  the  saloon.  On  this  same  plot  of  ground  stood  a 
smaller  building,  and  then  nothing  until  the  frame  build- 
ing of  Mr.  Thilmont  was  reached,  about  opposite  61st 
Place  and  in  which  he  kept  a  small  grocery  store.  Then 
a  large  vacant  space  to  the  home  of  Mr.  Lyons,  who  had 
moved  his  house  from  63rd  Street  and  Ashland  Avenue ; 
then  the  home  of  Mrs.  Gerber,  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  62nd  Street.  At  the  southwest  corner  stood  the  old 
Bensemann  building,  occupied  when  I  was  a  small  boy, 
by  Mr.  William  Bromstedt,  for  saloon  purposes,  and 
whose  son  Louis  was  one  of  my  earliest  playmates.  The 
building,  like  others  of  its  kind,  had  a  long  row  of  sheds 
extending  south  along  Halsted  Street  for  farmers  to  drive 
in  and  feed  their  horses.  At  certain  times  of  the  year 
it  was  quite  a  sight  to  see  the  long  rows  of  hay  wagons 
lined  up  at  noon  on  these  corners. 

There  were  only  three  or  four  houses  on  the  west  side 
of  Halsted  Street,  between  the  Bensemann  building  at 
62nd  Street  and  the  Crocker  homestead  at  63rd  Street. 
Among  these  were  the  old  Chavett  store  building,  where 
we  went  to  school  for  a  while.  Along  in  this  block, 
pretty  well  toward  63rd  Street,  was  a  clump  of  evergreen 
trees  which  gave  the  place  a  very  gloomy  appearance. 
At  the  time  referred  to,  the  entire  country  from  63rd  to 
65th  streets,  and  Halsted  to  Morgan  streets,  was  a  cabbage 
field.  South  of  65th  it  was  all  open  prairie  until  you 
came  to  a  little  frame  store  on  the  west  side  of  the 
street,  at  about  82nd  Street,  where  cigars  and  tobacco 
were  sold  to  farmers  and  others  driving  by.  Then  on 
to  the  old  settlement  of   South  Englewood  at  87th  Street. 

On  the  east  side  of  Halsted  Street  at  this  time,  I  do 
not  remember  of  a  house  between  55th  and  59th  streets. 
South   of   59th   was   the  home   of    Mr.   Flege,   a  gardener. 


REMINISCENCES  219 

Then  nothing  until  61st  Street  was  reached.  In  1888 
my  father  built  a  small  store  between  61st  Street  and 
61st  Place.  Close  to  the  corner  of  61st  Place  and  south  of 
that  street  stood  the  home  of  Mr.  Smith  and  a  little 
further  on  Mr.  Boehm  built  a  frame  store  in  about  1886, 
and  occupied  it  with  his  grocery  business  for  many 
years.  At  the  northeast  corner  of  62nd  Street  stood  the 
blacksmith  shop  of  Mr.  Ehler  and  at  the  southeast  corner, 
a  grocery  store  belonging  to  Mr.  Backofen.  Where  the 
National  Theatre  now  stands  was  a  row  of  frame  cottages 
and  where  the  Chicago  City  Bank  is  located  was  a  frame 
building  occupied  by  a  saloon,  then  vacant  to  63rd  Street. 
South  of  63rd  Street  was  the  old  Stevenson  house,  the 
Bertemes  house  and  the  shoe  shop  and  residence  of 
Mr.  Schilling,  the  latter  being  at  about  where  the  elevated 
road  now  crosses.  South  of  this  there  was  no  house 
so  far  as  I  know  except  an  old  building  at  the  corner  of 
65th  Street,  and  then  nothing  all  the  way  to  South  Engle- 
wood.  There  were  a  few  scattering  buildings  east  and 
west  of  Halsted  on  63rd  Street,  but  two  or  three  blocks 
west  of  Halsted  brought  one  into  the  open  country,  a  good 
part  of  which  was  under  water  in  the  spring. 

I  remember  the  days  of  the  greased  pole  and  the 
greased  pig  at  the  Normal  School  grounds,  but  was  too 
young  to  take  part  in  such  strenuous  exercise.  I  recall 
the  ''swimming  hole"  at  82nd  and  Halsted  Streets  and 
another  one  at  64th  Street  and  Ashland  Avenue ;  and  also 
remember  seeing  men  fishing  in  the  wide  ditches  at  63rd 
and  Halsted  streets,  and  taking  out  good  sized  pickerel 
and  other  fish  on  the  very  corner  now  known  as  the 
busiest  outside  of  the  loop.  Our  real  "old  settlers"  can 
go  back  much  further,  as  I  was  born  in  1876. 

In  early  days  nearly  every  family  had  a  good  sized 
garden,  cow,  chickens,  and  sometimes  pigs,  and  in  this  way 
made  a  good  part  of  their  living.  We  had  no  "modern  im- 
provements" when  I  was  a  child  and  it  was  considered  a 
wonderful  thing  when  the  city  water  was  finally  extended 
into  our  lot  line,  and  we  carried  the  water  fifty  or  seventy- 
five  feet  to  the  house.  But  it  was  a  healthy  life;  we  had 
the   whole   town   to   play   in,    and    I    wonder   whether    our 


220  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

modern  "cliff  dwellers"  living  in  great  stone  boxes   called 
"flats"  are  any  happier. 

Some   Early   Reminiscences 
Douglas   M.    Stevens,   545   West  60th   Place 

The  writer  came  here  from  Michigan  in  the  summer  of 
1867  over  the  Michigan  Southern  &  Northern  Indiana 
Railway  and  got  off  the  train  at  a  station  known  on 
the  time  card  of  the  railway  as  Chicago  Junction.  In 
the  postoffice  department,  however,  it  was  known  as  Junc- 
tion Grove.  Mr.  D.  R.  Riddell  was  then  station  agent 
for  the  M.  S.  &  N.  I.  Railroad  at  the  Junction  and  occu- 
pied a  part  of  station  building  as  a  residence,  which  was 
located  about  where  the  street  now  known  as  62nd  would 
cross  the  railroads. 

One  could  easily  count  all  the  houses  in  sight  from 
the  depot  platform;  Mr.  NichoPs  residence  was  the  most 
conspicuous,  as  it  stood  out  on  the  prairie  by  itself  then 
and  was  considered  quite  a  mansion  in  those  days.  Open 
prairie  stretched  away  in  every  direction,  and  one  had 
an  unobstructed  view  of  trains  moving  on  the  Chicago 
&  Great  Eastern  Railway  miles  to  the  westward.  The 
choice  residence  portion  of  the  town  was  in  "The  Grove" 
east  of   State  Street. 

The  house  where  the  writer  was  visiting  he  cannot  lo- 
cate now,  but  he  remembers  that  it  was  owned  by  a  Mr. 
Sherwood  and  that  it  was  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of 
what  would  be  now  63rd  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue. 
The  building  housed  the  engine  (a  car  operated  by 
a  stationary  engine)  of  the  P.  F.  W.  &  C.  R.  dummy. 
This  train  was  the  only  accommodation  train  running  from 
Junction  Grove  to  the  city  then.  The  train  itself  came 
to  be  called  "The  Dummy"  and  the  writer  believes  that 
other  suburban  trains  since  that  time  have  taken  the  name 
of  "Dummy"  from  that  one. 

Of  course  your  correspondent  took  many  rides  to  the 
city  on  the  "Dummy."  He  thinks  the  train  made  three 
trips  to  the  city  and  back  daily  except  Sunday.  He  does 
remember  that  it  backed  into  the  stock  yards  on  each  trip 
to  and  from  the  city  for  the  accommodation  of  patrons, 
came  out  on  the  main  line  and  continued  its  way  in  either 
direction    it    was    going.      The    Hough    House,    afterward 


REMINISCENCES  221 

called  the  Transit  House,  looms  out  of  the  fog  of  the  past 
in  the  writer's  mind,  a  gigantic  building  visible  from  afar. 

Perhaps  some  of  ye  old  settlers  of  Englewood  will  re- 
member a  portion  of  Junction  Grove,  of  unsavory  repu- 
tation, known  as  "The  Patch."  The  writer  heard  of  it 
very  soon  after  his  arrival  here  but  as  he  was  cautioned 
never  to  visit  it  alone  and  unattended,  he  was  never 
able  to  get  a  chance  to  explore  it. 

He  soon  became  quite  chummy  with  the  man  who  at- 
tended the  target  at  the  intersection  of  the  M.  S.  &  N.  I. 
and  the  C.  &  R.  I.  railways,  which  was  located  in  his  mind 
about  where  59th  Street  would  cross  the  two  railways. 
The  name  of  the  target  man  was  Jimmie  Cunningham. 
The  writer  being  a  boy,  trivial  things  made  a  strong  im- 
pression on  his  mind ;  as  Jimmy  Cunningham  explained  to 
him :  "When  the  target  is  placed  horizontally,  the  semi- 
phore  indicates  that  the  switches  are  right  for  the  M.  S.  & 
N.  I.  trains  to  pash,  whin  the  target  is  placed  perpindic- 
ularly,  it  says  the  tracks  are  right  for  the  C.  &  R.  I. 
trains  to  pash — whin  it  is  set  diagonally,  nayther  train 
can  pash." 

Ira  Nichols  caused  much  amusement  in  those  days  by 
his  oft  repeated  prophesy,  that  street  cars  would  some  day 
be  running  from  the  city  to  Englewood,  and  its  streets 
would  also  some  day  be  lighted  by  gas.  Although  he 
was  a  substantial  business  man,  a  good  many  people 
thought  he  had  bats  in  his  belfry  because  it  harbored 
such  absurd  and  unreasonable  ideas. 

The  writer's  brother,  E.  C.  Stevens,  and  brother-in- 
law,  A.  A.  Thresher,  always  claimed  the  honor  of  estab- 
lishing the  first  grocery  store  in  Junction  Grove,  or  Engle- 
wood as  it  was  soon  named.  The  grocery  mentioned  was 
on  the  east  side  of  State  Street  directly  east  of  the  M.  S. 
&  R.  I.  passenger  station.  Across  the  street,  not  far  away 
was  the  postoffice,  presided  over  by  Mistress  Clark,  and  it 
was  currently  reported  that  Mistress  Clark  used  a  stamp 
drawer  as  a  receptacle  for  all  the  mail  matter  for  the  town 
in  those  days,  and  that  patrons  of  the  office  were  sometimes 
compelled  to  wait  considerable  time  for  the  delivery  of 
their  mail  while  the  mistress  was  engaged  in  household 
duties   in   distant   parts    of   the   house   and   would   not   be 


222  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

interrupted,  but  he  does  not  personally  know  whether  all 
the  stories  told  of  that  early  postmistress  were  true  or 
false. 

His  impression  is  that  Englewood  was  never  incor- 
porated into  village  or  city  government  and  it  had  no 
clearly  defined  boundaries — part  of  it  being  in  the  Town 
of  Lake  and  part  in  Hyde  Park  township. 

"The  Grove"  east  of  State  Street  was  often  used  that 
summer  for  picnics.  The  writer  witnessed  a  fracas  at 
one  of  these  gatherings  that  summer  which  was  a  comedy, 
but  threatened  at  one  time  to  become  a  tragedy.  He 
does  not  recall  under  whose  auspices  the  picnic  was  held, 
but  remembers  seeing  a  troop  of  uniformed  men,  wearing 
cocked  hats  on  their  heads  and  small  swords  at  their  sides, 
marching  from  the  train  to  the  grove  in  the  morning,  and 
he  understood  it  was  to  be  a  German  picnic. 

Toward  evening  the  picnickers  were  returning  to  the 
train  which  was  to  bear  them  to  the  city,  straggling  along 
alone  and  in  groups,  and  the  cars  were  partially  loaded 
when  there  suddenly  came  a  report  that  a  fight  was  in 
progress  on  the  picnic  grounds — a  dozen  or  so  hoodlums 
had  started  a  rumpus  with  the  people  yet  remaining  on 
the  ground.  Instantly  the  knights  in  uniform  drew  their 
swords  and  started  for  the  disturbers  of  the  peace.  The 
knights  on  the  ground  first,  then  the  ones  in  the  cars, 
rushed  to  the  aid  of  their  comrades.  The  ones  who  had 
started  the  row,  seeing  such  a  formidable  military  body 
coming  to  attack  them,  turned  and  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 
The  Germans  broke  into  double  quick  time  and  the  hood- 
lums broke  into  triple  quick  time  and  took  refuge  in 
Ring's  and  Fagan's,  where  they  hid  in  garrets  and  cellars 
until  the  irate  knights  gave  up  the  search  for  them  and 
returned  to  the  train,  thus  showing  that  even  hoodlums 
recognize  that  discretion  is  the  better  part  of  valor. 

The  writer  has  lived  in  Englewood  on  and  off  for  a 
period  of  over  forty  years  and  has  seen  Englewood  grow 
from  a  small  straggling  hamlet  to  a  mighty  city,  and  yet 
can  scarcely  realize  it.  This  wonderful  growth  from  that 
time  to  this  seems  as  marvelous  as  anything  ever  wrought 
by  Aladdin  and  his  wonderful  lamp. 


REMINISCENCES  223 

Letter  from  an  Old  Timer 
John  Bredin 

Englewood  in  the  early  summer  of  1880,  which  was 
to  be  my  future  home,  did  not,  to  say  the  least,  look 
inviting.  My  arrival  in  Chicago  was  in  May  of  this  year, 
shortly  after  which  I  went  to  visit  a  friend  who  was 
recovering  from  a  severe  illness  and  who  lived  in  a  small 
cottage  on  65th  Street  and  Lowe  Avenue  (which  at  that 
time  was  open  prairie  in  all  directions).  When  taking  my 
departure,  they  showed  me  a  low-roofed  depot  (63rd  and 
Wallace  streets),  saying,  "You  can  make  a  "bee  line" 
across  the  prairie. 

All  the  buildings  on  63rd  Street  at  that  time  (that  I 
can  remember  from  Wentworth  Avenue  to  Wallace 
Street)  were  a  frame  store,  two  stories,  at  the  northwest 
corner  of  Wentworth  Avenue,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Yale  Avenue  which  a  few 
years  later  burned  down,  Memorial  Hall  across  the  street, 
the  Timmerman  homestead,  where  now  stands  the  Reo 
Hotel,  a  private  home  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Stewart 
Avenue,  and  a  one  story  store  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Wright  Street  (maybe  at  that  time  it  was  Wright),  with 
a  big  tree  in  the  center  near  63rd  Street,  now  Normal 
Boulevard.  If  there  were  any  more  I  am  sure  there  is 
not  a   stick  standing  now. 

In  the  fall  of  1881-1882,  with  a  party  of  young  men,  I 
came  out  to  a  sale  of  lots  at  63rd  and  Halsted  streets. 
The  little  office  was  at  the  southwest  corner  and  for  that 
they  asked  $250.00.     Other  lots  were  as  low  as  $125.00. 

I  can  remember  a  very  deep  ditch  and  a  row  of  large 
willow  trees  from  there  to  64th  Street  (west  side)  and 
the  Sherwood  homestead  on  the  site  of  what  is  now  the 
Englewood  Theatre.  A  saloon  and  farmer's  rest,  61st 
and  Halsted  streets.  Between  63rd  and  55th  streets  west 
of  Halsted  was  the  cabbage  plantation  where  they  loaded 
cars  for  the  south  (so  it  was  said).  On  this  part  of  the 
street  there  was  a  plank  sidewalk  so  badly  constructed  and 
uneven  that  it  was  seldom  used.  The  four  corners  at 
55th  and  Halsted  streets  were  vacant,  but  later  there  was 
a  large  brick  dwelling  put  up  on  the  southeast  corner  on 
what  is  now  the  site  of  the  Byrne  Block. 


224  THE  STORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD 

I  crossed,  twice  each  day  for  many  years,  the  old 
wooden  viaduct  which  carried  the  street  cars  from  Went- 
worth  Avenue  to  State  Street  over  the  tracks  at  61st 
Street.  They  had  an  extra  horse  at  the  State  Street  end 
on  which  rode  a  "gay  postillion" — at  top  he  was  liberated 
by  pressing  a  clutch. 

I  must  not  forget  the  village  postoffice  which  was 
then  at  61st  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue  and  to  which 
we  had  to  make  daily  trips  for  mail. 

My  tale  is  told  and  of  necessity  without  varnish  and 
as  close  to  the  line  as  memory  will  permit — yet  by  your 
gracious  patience,  I  would  like  to  remind  the  old  friends 
of  the  early  '80s  my  heart  is  with  them  and  still  in 
Englewood. 


4*"^ 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

TwItORY  OF  ENGLEWOOD01835-1923  CHGO 


